Why Your Vote Matters

Voting is one of the most important tools to our democracy. It enables all of us regardless of gender or race to participate in choosing who we want to represent us in government. Therefore, it is paramount that we utilize our voices through our voting so we can ensure we are electing qualified men and women who truly care about the needs of us all.

We have work to do.  Tennessee has one of the lowest voter turnouts in the country. We must work to make sure every resident has the opportunity to get to the polls through voter registration, early voting and rides to the polls when needed.

Voting influences the decision-making of people in office. When people in power are concerned about the votes of their constituents, they are much more likely to focus on the needs of the people in their districts rather than the desires of special interest groups that may not have the needs of the people of a region or state in mind.

As a candidate for Tennessee State Senate, I want voters in our district to make the decision on how we best chart the future of Shelby County, and we need good representation from all of our eligible voters to be the healthiest community we can be.

So I appeal to everyone to do a few steps in participating in our democracy. Make sure you are registered to vote. Do some research on the races and the issues at stake so you can make informed choices based on the best needs of all our neighbors here in Shelby County. Locate where you need to go vote, and then be sure to get out and vote. On our website, there is a link to quickly work through the process to answer any questions you have about your own voter registration and where you can go to vote.

There are two elections this year in which everyone registered can participate. On August 2, the county and city general election happens, and this is also the date for the primary for the state and federal races. Early voting for the August 2 election is July 13-28. Early voting is a great opportunity to find a more convenient time to plan one’s schedule to vote, and all of the voting sites are available to use during early voting.

The state and federal general election is November 6. Early voting for the November election is October 17-November 1. Our democracy works best when we all participate. I hope each of us will exercise this important right and vote our conscience to make Shelby County and Tennessee better.

Sincerely,

David M. Weatherspoon

Candidate for Tennessee State Senate District 31