Participating

DUKES FANS: “Democracy is not a spectator sport. It a participatory event” Credited to George Shultz and Lotte Scharfman “You have to vote in every election. People struggled and died so you could have this right, and if you don’t vote, then you are spitting on their graves.” Ruth Edna Davis It will be election day in a little less than a month in Pennsylvania. As it will not be a gubernatorial or Presidential election, there will probably not be long lines at the polls, or many absentee ballots sent in. “After all” many folks will say,” it is an “off year” election. It’s no big deal.” Actually, the fact that it is an “off-year election” is a VERY big deal. While we may focus on the Presidential and gubernatorial elections as the important ones, many of the ways those elections are run are decided by people who are in power as a result of off year elections. This year Pennsylvania is asking Its citizens to decide if they want to retain the current Justices of our state’s Supreme Court, and that is the court that will probably have final say on many things leading up to and after the gubernatorial and Presidential elections: voting maps, election procedures, lawsuits against prominent people and the interpretation and application of many laws. What citizens do on November 4th may well determine how those later elections turn out. That is a HUGE deal. In Philadelphia, a lot of the people that govern and oversee things that affect our regular, normal, day-to-day lives are also elected at this time. There are several types of judicial elections on this year’s ballot, and if you are involved in legal matters, you or someone you know may well be in one of their courts and/or subject to some of their decisions. This election will also determine the City Controller-the person who oversees Philadelphia’s use of much of our tax money. And Philadelphia will also elect its District Attorney, the person who oversees much of our criminal justice system. That, too, is a HUGE deal. And of course, there are many other people who affect day-to-day life in our suburbs and other towns and cities who will also be elected. I would urge you to find out about elections in your community and state as well. New Jersey has a gubernatorial election, and as you have probably seen in the media, it is hotly contested and being nationally observed. If you are over 18 and a resident of New Jersey, you can have your say over who sets much of the priorities and direction of the state for at least the next four years. So there are multiple opportunities for most of us over the age of 18 to be participants this year in this important event-to not just be spectators, but to be participants! To be a participant is to honor our right to vote: to own it. But in order to own it, you must be registered. The deadline for registration in Pennsylvania is October 20th, and in New Jersey it is October 14.th. If you have not yet registered, I urge you to do so. And when you are, and if you already are, I strongly urge you to show up and vote. The voting age used to be 21 when I turned 18, and I was one of those people standing on street corners in the late 60’s and early 70’s trying to get people to sign petitions, pledging to work to lower the voting age to 18. And it happened! I think we need to honor that, and registering and voting is how we can do that. I have voted in every election since I was legally able to, and I know I will vote November 4th. My mother’s words still ring in my ear: I am not spitting on any graves. (Some info on this November’s election Philadelphia: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/pa-election-guide/ Pennsylvania:https://whyy.org/articles/pennsylvania-philadelphia-election-2025-voter-guide-deadlines/ New Jersey https://www.njspotlightnews.org/special-report/nj-2025-voter-guide-nj-governor-nj-assembly-races/ ) DUKES OF DESTINY: 40th Anniversary www.dukesofdestiny.com