Intelligent voting

To the editor:

As a Democrat and “card-carrying member” of the American Civil Liberties Union, I was delighted to note the large number of new voter registrations in Douglas County, no doubt attributable to the passions aroused by the presidential race. Judging by the same margin of victory in the local races, a large number of my fellow Democrats voted a straight ticket, apparently without having done their homework in each race, save the presidential one.

In an understandable zeal to oust the sitting president (a fervor which I shared wholeheartedly), these voters have swept from office the current district attorney, Christine Kenney, an experienced prosecutor and champion of women’s and senior citizens’ rights — replaced by an individual who has never prosecuted a case before a jury. I repeat: Our next DA has never prosecuted a case to a jury!

If this is shocking news to slate voters, they should have done their homework. Ironically many well-meaning and enthusiastic voters hoisted the rest of us with their own petard by sweeping the inexperienced into important positions. Voting is a serious duty, not a knee-jerk exercise. We have a grave responsibility to make choices intelligently for each race on the ballot, one by one, basing our votes on the facts, the candidates’ qualifications, professional records, and platforms.

Voting a straight ticket may seem to be politically loyal, but the unintended consequences can negatively affect our civic well-being for years to come. What a wonderful yet terrifying power we hold in our right to vote, but without conscientious deliberation we cheapen that privilege.

Jan Kozma,

Lawrence