Election time is coming! And June 23rd is that special day for two cities in Union County. The city of Maynardville will be electing three officers to the city council, and the city of Plainview will be casting ballots for the Mayor’s office and two Alderman seats. On Election day, opening time is 9:00am, and all polls will close at 8:00pm. (For those unable to vote or over the age of 60, please remember the availability of absentee voting, now more accessible for those affected by Covid-19.)

Candidates in Plainview:
For Mayor:
Gary D. Chandler

For Alderman:
Gordon Bright
Rebecca Lock
Myrna Hopper Valentine

Candidates in Maynardville:
Isaac Collins
Trevor "Smiley" Dyke
Carson Kiser
Brad McCravey
Len Padgett
Brandon Thomas
Tim Young

Voting—It’s that thing that happens and people start knocking on your door asking you to vote for them, leaving you goodies, and when the time comes to vote, you may or may not participate, depending on the office being voted on. If it is something like the office of Senate, a Representative, or especially the president, you will probably do your homework and have a strong opinion on who you will cast your ballot for. But the rest? When it comes down to the nitty gritty offices of city council, commissioners, county clerk, Alderman, and even sometimes the city mayor, many will either not vote, simply vote for a candidate in their party, or someone whose name stood out to them from a road sign or a house call.

But why should we take voting seriously? The right to vote is a core freedom in the United States of America and was one of the main reasons the colonies broke away from their mother country, England. In the beginning, 1789, only white land-owning men could vote. In 1792 New Hampshire led the states in allowing all white men, regardless of having or not having property to claim, to vote. In 1856, North Carolina was the last state to eradicate property owning stipulations for voting rights. Again in the 1800’s voting rights changed to allow voters the opportunity to participate on election day, despite whatever their religion was. This ending in 1828, with Maryland being the last state to remove these restrictions. Finally, in 1869 the African Americans won their fight for their rights to vote after the Fifteenth Amendment was passed, increasing the voters to all male citizens, “regardless of their race, color, or previous condition of servitude”. The Constitution was again amended due to voting rights in 1919, and this time in favor of women. The Nineteenth Amendment was finally adopted in 1920 and the right to vote was given to all American Citizens no matter their gender. As a consequence of ongoing racial prejudice after the passing of the Civil Rights Acts, the Voting Rights Acts of 1965 was signed into law to prohibit those jurisdictions from further discriminating because of race and to extend voting rights to language minorities. The 26th Amendment was ratified in 1971. It provided that all citizens at least 18 years of age could vote. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed and ensured that persons with a disability could access the polls safely.

In over 200 years, voting has been something that is a foundational right, and something that has been craved by those from whom it was held. As the nation has changed, so have its voting rights. It is important that each person able exercises their right to vote for whom he pleases, for all offices.

So do your homework, find out who you want to cast your vote for, and on Election Day (June 23rd for Maynardville and Plainview and August 6th for the county) be sure to get out and vote!!