Voting and an individual's responsibility

The right to vote is well established in our Constitutions. Article 1, Section 2, Clause 1 of the US Constitution states that members of Congress are to be chosen by the people.

The right to vote is well established in our Constitutions. Article 1, Section 2, Clause 1 of the US Constitution states that members of Congress are to be chosen by the people.

The 15th Amendment states, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servatude" Then the Nineteenth Amendment says, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."

The 24th Amendment guarantees your right to vote even if you fail to pay taxes. Amendment Twenty-six gave 18 year old citizens voting rights.

The Montana Constitution in Article II, Section 13, "Right of Suffrage. All elections shall be free and open, and no power, civil or military, shall at any time interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage." The term "suffrage" means "right to vote."

All of Article IV deals with the unfettered right of voting and throughout the rest of the State Constitution are provisions for voting in different circumstances, i.e. initiatives.

The bottom line is that the future of America is largely in the hands of the citizens. The question is will the citizens become informed on the issues or the candidates, so they can vote intelligently. The first step is to make sure you are registered to vote. Contact your County Clerk and Recorder Office to make sure you are on the voting roll.

The responsible voter should keep informed of all elections, the candidates and issues involved in the election.

The campaign signs, generally, do not tell much about where candidates stand on issues or the full implication of initiatives.

Attend forums, no matter who sponsors them, to find out where candidates stand on issues.

You can always contact the candidates yourself and ask them pointed questions. The local paper is a great source when they ask direct questions of candidates and publish them.

The most important way of really knowing where incumbents stand on issues is their voting records. Sometimes it takes a little time and research to see how they vote, but this is the best way to cut through all the political rhetoric.

What an incumbent may state at home and how they vote in Helena or Washington D.C. can be very different.

We ought to remember the sacrifice that has been made by so many Americans, who went before us, to secure our voting rights.

I do believe the "state of our nation" in some regards is due to the neglect of the ballot box. We still live in the greatest nation on earth. As your State Senator, I want to encourage those who don't vote to start.

America is at a crossroad and your vote can make a difference. The choice will be yours.

You may contact me by email at ghinklesd7@gmail.com or phone, 827-4645.