One vote can make all the difference

What's the value of one vote?

The 2000 presidential election was decided by 537 votes in Florida - less than 1 percent of all voters. With such milestone historical events as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Iraq war that followed, the &#8220what ifs” surrounding that election continue to be pondered.

More recently, in primary election battles for two state House seats in August, razor-thin voting margins sent one incumbent on to the November general election and another home.

In the first, incumbent Kurt Olson of Soldotna won passage to the November ballot by just 12 votes. Considering the less-than-full voter turnout, challenger Dave Carey and his supporters have to be pondering some &#8220what ifs” of their own.

In the second, a western Alaska race ultimately was decided by a coin toss, after a series of recounts and judicial reconsiderations left both challenger Bryce Edgmon and longtime incumbent Carl Moses with identical vote totals.

Closer to home, anyone who doubts the value of one vote can talk to Charlie Fannon. In 2003, the former Wasilla police chief lost the election for borough mayor by five votes.

Six more votes would have made the difference for Fannon, who, along with Curt Menard, Jody Simpson, David Straub and Bruce Walden, is angling for the borough's top elected position on Tuesday's ballot. Six people who probably considered voting, but didn't, could have put Fannon over the top.

Fannon and his supporters have had three years to ponder their own &#8220what ifs” and likely have a deeper appreciation for the voting process and the importance of citizens exercising their right to vote.

The right to vote is the absolute cornerstone of democracy. Perhaps it is because we have had the right for so long that we take it for granted and don't always sense the urgency to exercise it. Or perhaps we have simply become just cynical or jaded enough about the process to think an individual vote lacks meaning.

In recent months, the world has watched democracy struggle to take root in some of the most unfertile corners of the world. Still, voters have participated in the first free elections in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Iraq.

While these countries still have much to learn about democracy in action, their citizens, who turned out to vote in rates unheard of in this country, offer us a valuable lesson in being active participants in democracy.

There are many theories about the reasons for the chronic social malady of low voter turnout here in the U.S. Whatever the explanation, though, the remedy remains the same.

We can each do our part by getting out to vote on Tuesday. In so doing, we recognize the value of one vote and honor our democratic heritage.