Editorial: Make your mark this election

Photo / File

With less than a week to go before the general elections on Saturday, I am not going to tell you who you should vote for.

I don't believe that is my role. However, I will encourage you to take up your democratic right and cast a vote.

In the last two months or so, Hawke's Bay Today has attempted to give the election campaign as much coverage as possible. We have not taken sides and we do not have any affiliation to any party.

All we wanted was for our readers to know as much about the candidates in the electorates in our region as possible.We believe we have done so and in the next few days until Friday, we will continue to devote pages to covering the elections.

We also felt that it was important for us to host Meet the Candidate debates and the three we held - for Tukituki, Ikaroa-Rawhiti and Napier - were very successful. Nearly 700 people attended the three meetings in total. What this told me was the community is engaged this election. There were heated moments at times, in particularly at the Tukituki and Napier meetings, but it merely emphasised that candidates and members of the public were passionate about what they believed in.

However, it all counts for nothing if people do not get out and vote. I know of quite a few young people who are planning to vote for the first time. It is a special occasion and a privilege.

I still remember the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994, where many elderly people voted after being denied that right for their whole lives. Tears streamed down their faces as they put their vote in the ballot box.

Voting empowers a person and makes you realise that you can make a difference simply by voting.

So, go ahead and make your mark on Saturday.