WS Chronicle

Political parties will be having May 8 primaries this year. But today, April 19, is also an important date. Early voting begins today through May 5. We join the voices telling people to go out and vote in the primaries this year. Your future depends on it.

Veterans of the Civil Rights Movement came to North Carolina recently to encourage black voters to study the issues, register to vote and cast their ballots in both the primaries and Nov. 6 midterm elections. We echo that.

We add that the state and local elections in many cases matter more than the presidential election.

Who decides about your child’s public education? Who decides about your trash being picked up or recycled? Who manages the jail in Forsyth County? Who represents you in Congress and the General Assembly?

The people in these positions either are asking you to re-elect them or want to be in those positions of service. Some people in the positions do not have primary opposition but might have opposition in the Nov. 6 election. However, some people won’t have General Election opposition, which means they will be practically elected in the primary vote.

Democratic and Republican parties are the major parties in the United States and in Forsyth County. The positions that have GOP and Democratic primaries are 5th Congressional District and Sheriff. The Board of Education and County Board of Commissioners have primaries in various districts of each. This is the important thing to remember: If there is no primary race for one political party, there might not be any opposition to the people elected in May come November.

In the Board of Commissioners race, two seats are open in District A and four people are running in the Democratic primary. There is no mirror race on the Republican side. There is no mirror race on the Republican side for the Board of Education District 1 race, either. Two seats are open and five people are running. Likewise, there is not a Democratic race for the Board of Education District 2 race. Five people are running in the Republican primary for four seats.

So, the vote you cast in a primary might mean a vote you cast for your ultimate representative.

We can’t afford to ignore the primaries. We strongly urge you to study the issues, register to vote and cast your ballot for the people you want to represent you. No vote you cast will be for Donald Trump. Don’t sit this vote out.

Early voting begins today at the Forsyth Board of Elections, 201 N. Chestnut St, and will include same-day voter registration. Sample ballots can found on the BOE’s website at www.forsyth.cc/elections under “Election Info.”