Stephen Norton: Every vote counts

Regarding the Aug. 20 letter “Going to Disney”: To the young letter writer who can’t stand the two “terrible” presidential candidates and may not vote, I urge him not to disengage. To do so is essentially the same as saying, “I don’t care who wins, and I’ll let others make that choice.”

Here’s a lesson worth remembering. In the 2000 presidential election, it is almost certain that if Floridians who voted for Ralph Nader had instead voted for Al Gore (who lost that state by fewer than 600 votes), Gore would have been elected. With Gore as president, it is also almost certain that the war in Iraq, and its global consequences, wouldn’t have happened.

Voting, and who someone votes for, does matter.

This story was originally published August 22, 2016 at 5:36 PM with the headline "Stephen Norton: Every vote counts."