The Jefferson County board of legislators recently voted unanimously for a resolution voicing its opposition to a bill in the State Legislature proposing early voting for 14 days prior to a general election. Jefferson County estimates that it could cost taxpayers nearly $80,000 to run early voting for a general election alone. Their opposition is justified, and this bill, while well intentioned, would be just another costly unfunded mandate from Albany on our local governments, which are already straining from many other revenue-eating state mandates.

Truthfully, early voting already exists. If someone is unable to make it to the polls, it is very easy to obtain an absentee ballot or ask for a paper ballot prior to Election Day. I believe our board of elections staff already makes every effort to make voting easy and accessible for our citizens.

In my role as an elected official, I learned very early on that listening is one of the most important things you should do. Listening fully to someone’s thoughts and plans gives you an advantage in making informed decisions, and I would say that it is much of the same when it comes to voting. Is it really an advantage to vote before the discussion and debate is concluded? What if an early voter already cast their ballot but something changes their mind? They may wish they had a second chance.

The real way to increase voter turnout has little to do with extending early voting; there needs to be better overall awareness and participation. There are many passionate voters out there in our communities, but there are many others who may feel that voting won’t make a difference. The more we make sure people know how much their vote matters, the more we’ll see positive and lasting change. Programs like those in our schools that teach young people that participation in their government is important and that they can make an impact will allow us more ground in the fight for better voter turnout and involvement.

It’s our job as elected officials, passionate voters and citizens to work with each other and encourage our friends and neighbors to participate in our government and go out and vote. No institutional change mandated by the state, especially one that will cost taxpayer dollars, is going to yield effective results like grassroots voter education does.