West Virginians should go vote

Tuesday is the West Virginia Primary election.

Practically right after the last presidential election ended four years ago, we started hearing about the candidates for this election. Now it’s time to vote.

Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m.

We are fortunate to live in a democracy that allows us to exercise the right to elect our leaders. Years ago, women and black people were not allowed to vote. On Tuesday, our state’s Democrats will be able to cast their votes between a woman and a black man for our president. In the early days of out country, only white males over the age of 21 were allowed to vote. After the Civil War, slavery was abolished and civil rights and the right to vote were bestowed upon the former slaves, although many restrictions prevented blacks from actually being able to vote until the Voting Rights Act of the 1960s.

In 1776, women began clamoring for the right to vote and continued to protest and fight for the right. They weren’t allowed to vote until 1920, when the 19th Amendment gave them that right. The last state that allowed women to vote through the ratification of its Susan B. Anthony Amendment was Tennessee in 1920.

Until 1971, citizens had to be 21 years old to vote. The 26th Amendment changed the voting age to 18. This change came about during the Vietnam War. It probably seemed odd to everyone in those days that teenagers could be made to go off and fight in a war to defend America, yet they could not even cast votes in an election yet.

This country has come a long way over the years. Let’s not be “no shows” at the polls like we were for the recent Democratic rally held at the Greater Weirton Senior Center on Main Street. Too many people in our history fought way too hard to let this important day go by without action.

Your vote counts. Get involved and exercise your right to cast your ballot.