The forums are all over. Issues have been debated and discussed. Platforms have been laid bare, and the five candidates seeking the office of St. John the Baptist Parish president have nothing left to do but await the will of the people.

Today the citizens of St. John take the first step in rectifying damage done by recent scandals and will go to the polls to select a new leader. The ball is in your court.

Called both a civic responsibility and duty, voting is the cornerstone of the democratic process. And in a localized election such as this one, the importance of fulfilling one’s duty is magnified. Recent elections in the parish have demonstrated this.

In the 2008 election for parish president, the runoff was decided by just a few hundred votes. The more recent election for Fourth Judicial District Court of Appeals judge was decided by an even narrower margin.

And don’t forget that although the parish president race has received the bulk of the attention, there is another item on today’s ballot. Also up for vote today is a millage renewal for funding for the housing of juvenile offenders.

So, St. John residents, don’t just sit around and hope for change. Go out and make it happen.

Bumper stickers reading “Don’t blame me, I voted for _____.” have become rather commonplace in recent years. But if you don’t get out and vote, you lose all bumper sticker privileges.