Letter to the Editor: Vote early and make your voice heard

To the Editor:

I urge my fellow citizens; vote and vote early. Your vote is your voice. Your voice tells your story. Your story is your life and it matters. Every law and ballot measure, every executive order affects you and your loved ones. It is your sacred right and duty to cast your thoughtful vote in every election; now more than ever, when the very opportunity to vote is threatened by executive fiat and unchecked partisan gerrymandering.

Some facts to consider: In the September primary, of 21,020 registered voters in Wareham, 2,013 submitted ballots. Of 21,064 registered voters in Middleboro, 3,938 submitted ballots.

In Marion, about 27% of voters cast ballots. Voter turnout was 15% in Mattapoisett and 28% in Rochester.

In the 2024 national election, President Trump received about 77.3 million votes (49.8%.) Vice President Kamala Harris received about 75 million votes (48.3%.) This difference of approximately 1.5% delivered the Electoral College vote to President Trump. Roughly 86-89 million Americans who were eligible to vote did not cast ballots in the 2024 general election. More people did not vote at all than did for either candidate. Too many voices have fallen silent.

Make your plan to vote now. You can check your voter status at the following link:https://www.sec.state.ma.us/VoterRegistrationSearch/. You can read about Massachusetts ballot measures atballotpedia.org. Early voting for 2026 takes place from Oct. 17 to Oct. 30.

Stand up in your life and vote. Don't surrender your voice. Our future depends upon it.

Cynthia Bliss

Middleboro, MA