The ball is in your court.
Like Canadian tennis stars Eugenie Bouchard and Milos Raonic, you can pound it in the back to make your point in the election booth Monday.
You have a lot of choice.
All the current incumbents in the offices of mayor, town councillors, regional councillor and school board trustees are running.
Except for an acclamation of the Catholic school board trustee, we have contests for all positions.
A good range of candidates have offered their services to the town for the next four years.
This gives you a strong hand.
You can support those who brought the town to where it is. You can vote for a change. Or you can mix it up for mayor, regional councillor, town councillors and school trustees.
While town and regional governments don’t draw the same attention as provincial and federal governments, they are more important to your daily life.
They make the decisions about the roads you drive, the sidewalks you stroll, the water you drink, the neighbourhoods you live in, the parks where you play, the community centres you use, the trails you hike, the buses you ride, the environment you live with and the schools you attend.
Not much else is more important.
Unfortunately, municipal elections do not draw the turnout they should. Typically less than half of eligible voters cast a ballot.
If you don’t vote, you make a mistake.
You are letting others decide who will set policies for your town, region or school board for the next four years.
Nothing seems sadder than hearing someone who didn’t vote complain about a town council, regional council or school board decision.
If you have not received your voter registration notice yet, get in touch with the clerk’s office in Town Hall in person, by phone or on line at www.pelham.ca.
For this election, the town’s three ward boundaries have changed. Some polling stations are in different locations. If you are a newcomer to town, or moved since the 2010 election, you may not be registered yet.
The last advance voting day is this Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Pelham Public Library’s Fonthill branch.
On Election Day, next Monday polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Don’t miss your chance to make a difference.
