Nine is a magic number this election season. Wednesday, July 9 is the deadline for registering
to vote if you intend to vote on August 5 (that is the fourth Wednesday before election day). With
this newspaper being published on June 26, that leaves nine business days between now and July 9
for you to register to vote. Actually, if you are reading the Editorial page
of a newspaper, it is likely that you are already registered to vote, that you plan to vote in the August
5 state primary, and that you know the difference between a primary and a general election.
So, this is not primarily a call for you to register to vote. This is a call for you to put out the call
– in the neighborhood, to family members, in your church, at your workplace, at your gym, at your
mentoring site – that folks need to register to vote. Now. Before July 9 – and that means now.
This also is your opportunity to explain to people in your circle the difference between a primary
election, when party candidates are selected, and a general election, when Republican and
Democratic candidates (and others) square off to win (or lose) public office.
If someone shrugs you off and says, “I’ll skip this one, and wait for the election that counts,”
then you will have an opportunity to explain that, in many races, the primary election is more important
than the general election. In fact, many districts are so heavily Republican or Democratic that
the only contested election is the primary, and the winner of the primary election runs unopposed in
the general election. For example, if you live in the 5th Senatorial District, your vote for Rodney Hubbard or Robin Wright Jones on August 5 will determine your
next state senator, not the November 4 general election. The same is true for most of the primary
elections for state representative across the St. Louis area. Among statewide races, the competition
between Democrat and Republican in Novemberis likely to be fierce, but there are some very interesting,
contested primary races, including for attorney general and state treasurer. Your vote on
August 5 will make a difference in these races. According to the City election board, there have
been on average 500 new voters registered each week since February in the city of St. Louis alone.
Many of these new voters are African Americans energized by the unprecedented opportunity to
elect a black man as U.S. president. It is important that these new voters get involved before
November by casting their votes in the state primary on August 5. So, as you encourage new voters
to register, you can also encourage newly registered voters to educate themselves about the candidates
on the August 5 ballot (and their stances on issues of importance) and begin a commitment to
participating in the electoral process now. The City election board is located at 300 N.
Tucker, and the County election board is located at 12 Sunnen Dr. You can also register at your local
library, any Department of Motor Vehicles office or armed forces recruitment site. Awealth of information,
including forms you can download and links to your local election board, is available on
the website of Missouri Secretary of state Robin Carnahan, at www.sos.mo.gov. Carnahan, the
state’s highest election official, runs a sharp office that may be contacted toll-free at (800) NOWVOTE
(669-8683) or elections@sos.mo.gov. Eligible citizens include Missouri residents
who will be at least 18 years old on Election Day(in this case, August 5). Eighteen – that’s two
times nine, and nine is a magic number right now.