WS Chronicle

By Howard Pearre

What does voting have in common with nuclear engineering?

In nuclear engineering, a critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed to achieve a sustained nuclear reaction. You have to have enough plutonium to make a bomb. Otherwise, instead of fission, you get fizzle.

It’s the same with politics in a democracy. After a candidate makes it through the primary season “playoffs” and gets their party’s nod, they compete head-to-head with the candidate of the other party (or sometimes, parties) to achieve a critical mass of votes. In this sense, a candidate’s “critical mass” is at least one vote more than the other candidate’s total. Fission!

And “critical” has meaning in another sense. To say that the current midterm election that is in process is “critical” is an understatement. Which party will control the U.S. House and/or the U.S. Senate will have critical ramifications for years to come. Which judges are elected to the N.C. Supreme Court will have critical ramifications for years to come in terms of redistricting. Which candidates will gain seats on the school board will have critical ramifications for years to come in terms of student performance and what is taught.

It is no exaggeration to say that women’s rights to control their own bodies is “on the ballot.” It is no exaggeration to say that the climate is “on the ballot.” It is no exaggeration to say that continuing to allow weapons of mass distraction on the streets is “on the ballot.”  It is no exaggeration to say that gerrymandering is “on the ballot.” 

It is no exaggeration to say that teachers being allowed to accurately teach about the country’s treatment of Black people is “on the ballot.” It is no exaggeration to say that voter suppression is on the ballot. It is no exaggeration to say that democracy itself is “on the ballot.”

You could also look at the election this way: 

Imagine it’s Wednesday, Nov. 9, the day after Election Day. You watched the returns late into the night and had a particular interest in one candidate. It was back and forth, and when you went to bed, your candidate looked like she was pulling ahead.

But apparently, in the wee hours of the morning, that candidate who you knew to be honest, tuned in to the issues, and a hard worker, the candidate for whom you voted, lost her race by a slim margin to a blowhard sweet talker whose campaign stances were almost all the exact opposite of your values.

What happened?

You may be feeling a little sick and probably are wondering what you could have done other than voting to help give your candidate the necessary critical mass that would have put her in office. And, keep that other guy out. What extra effort could you have made that would have made a difference? You have the bad feeling that if you had just made a little extra effort, the race could have gone the other way. 

The good news is it’s not that Wednesday morning yet. It’s not too late to encourage someone else to vote. It’s not too late to help someone get to an early voting site from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m on a weekday or on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. And, of course, it’s not too late to vote yourself!

Voting – or not voting – is about deciding which candidates you want to achieve critical masses, and what extra effort you are willing to make to assure those outcomes. If you lean toward one candidate but don’t vote, you are, in effect, voting for that candidate’s opponent.

Be a part of the right critical mass. Don’t regret being a part of the wrong one. 

Vote!

Howard Pearre retired after a career as a counselor and manager with N.C. Vocational Rehabilitation and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. He has led training workshops on voter registration and is a board member with Winston-Salem Writers.