VOTING

BY ELLIS COUNTY JUDGE TODD LITTLE YOUR VOTE MATTERS

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it was built. When we look outside we don’t see the same County that people were seeing 50 years ago. As a third-generation Ellis County resident, I have seen the first-hand impacts of economic development, capital improvements, and expanding demographics over the years. My family farm went from 800 acres to 1. The potential that has always been here is beginning to boom, and it’s crucial to understand the landscape we see today started at the ballot box.

It was just over 100 years ago in 1919 that the State of Texas was the first southern state to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment. In August of 1920, this amendment was approved, granting women the right to vote. Although our means of voting have changed, they continue to change for the betterment of all.

Ellis County is now offering county-wide voting. This means that citizens no longer have to vote in a specific precinct but can choose a location based on convenience. There is an option to vote by mail and even curbside voting where a ballot can be brought to your vehicle. Technological advances continue to contribute to establishing one of the strongest voting networks ever.

Photo By: Alizada Studios / Shutterstock.com

which we build our principle and practice. We live in the Netflix era, with hundreds of options available to watch and each week we can get bored and move onto the next best thing. In this era of convenience and abundance, we can easily forget that the right to vote and benefit of casting a ballot has not always been so available. When voting, we should always reflect on the sense of gratitude that is easily forgotten since not everyone globally has this right.

During my teenage years, I was paid minimum wage to run back and forth picking up ballots from precinct vehicles and taking them to the elections office. This first-hand experience pushed me to assist in campaigns at the collegiate level during my time at Baylor University. After college, I came back to work alongside my father in the family business. I found involvement in elections through campaigns of local officials, Justices of the Peace, and Congressmen. I admired local politics as public servants are a part of the body in which they serve.

The focus of the majority tends to navigate towards the top at the federal level, however, the pyramid is always thicker at the bottom. As local public servants, you see us at the grocery store, you see us at church on Sundays, and sometimes we might even be neighbors. Day to day we are directly in contact with our constituents and accountable to our community. Again, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It was built by and comprised of the people in which it served. Ellis County is growing, and even though the landscape may change the culture remains the same. The time is now! Be invested in your community. Your voice at the polls is essential to maintaining your values, your rights, and transparent government made up of the local community. What will local education be like in the years to come, what will your city look like? This is why voting is the most important obligation we have as citizens. It’s a right to be heard and a right not freely given in many nations worldwide. A vote regarding your representation, the local school board, the city, the county, are your impressions on community. What will your fingerprint be? See you at the polls.

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Cover photo by Adriana Herrera, Instagram: @foodforthabooty Dessert Charcuterie Design by Angel Schiffer of Bittersweet Bakery

Staff photos by Rebecca Chesney Photo & Film

A special thanks to all of our contributing writers.

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