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We also should be the city where more vote
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By Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone

Having spent my whole life in Somerville, I’ve met almost every type of person you can imagine. I’ve met people of every race, creed, color, faith, age, and more. I’ve met people from all walks of life and from all around the world. I’ve met people who’d give you the shirt off their backs and others who’d try to steal it. Yet the one thing I haven’t met is someone without an opinion.

One of the absolute best things about Somerville is people will tell you what they think. Living in Somerville not only means you can meet all types, but you get to hear everything too. It’s fantastic. Yet not everybody votes. That I don’t understand. We have a city full of amazing, opinionated people, but some of them skip making their voices heard via the voting booth.

I don’t care what your opinions are. I don’t care if you disagree with me about 100% of everything. Please vote. It is a simple act that makes our entire system work better.

Some people may be hesitant to vote because polls have convinced them the outcomes are foregone conclusions. We’ve seen many instances of how that’s not always the case, but, even if it is, more support for the candidates or causes you believe in adds weight to those victories. And if you’re on the losing side of a vote, at least you stood up and made your voice heard. I’ve lost count of how many losing votes I’ve taken over the years. I’m glad I took every single one of them. I appreciate that I had the opportunity to support my opinions and my values.

I know you’ve likely heard before that people have struggled, fought, and died for your right to vote, but it’s true and deserves saying again. It’s the basis of government of, by, and for the people. We also keep trying to make it easier to do. If you have conflicts next Tuesday, we have early voting taking place at City Hall through the end of this week.

As it turns out, in Somerville we’re considering expanding voting rights in local elections to include students aged 16 and 17 and resident immigrants. These are people who can’t vote in state and national elections, but would love to have their voices heard at the local level. Regardless of your view on that, the point is plenty of people who can’t participate in the democratic process wish they could join those of us who can. They think we’re in on a good thing, and they’re right about that.

The other thing that gets overlooked is we are in an era of big data. Voting numbers get crunched every which way, and it does shape policy decisions at the state and national levels. No matter who you are, you fit into a set of demographics. If more people like you show up to vote, politicians see that data, along with how it affects the results. If you’re part of a demographic that doesn’t show up, it makes it easy to ignore your issues.

Ideally, what we should get is full participation. That way we get to see what the totality of the people actually think rather than a distorted picture based on who showed up. I particularly encourage anyone who feels run down, overlooked, underrepresented, or left behind to vote. We need to hear from you most of all, so that we have a government that works for everybody. Don’t think your vote doesn’t matter. The very act of you showing up influences the process.

Finally, it’s no secret we live in contentious times. This isn’t the first time it’s happened. The way we get through these is we vote our way forward. We settle our issues at the ballot box, then take action based on those votes. It is a search for prevailing opinion, and it starts with each of us making our opinions part of the process.

I know you’ve got opinions. Now turn those opinions into votes. I’ve always considered Somerville to be a unique place. We think bigger, strive harder, and celebrate more. We also should be the city where more people vote. Setting a higher standard is kind of our thing. Make sure you vote early or on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Make sure everybody you know does the same.

We get the best results when everybody votes, so vote.