By Susanne Reynolds

Special to The Post-Searchlight

 

Bainbridge State College’s Honors Program and the Decatur County Board of Elections and Voter Registration held its first ever Constitution Day on Sept. 17 — an event held to commemorate and celebrate the most important document in U.S. history.

Donalsonville Mayor Dan Ponder, who served as the moderator, opened the panel discussion with an eloquent description of how the 228-year-old U.S. Constitution has remained true to its framework but evolved with changing times.

Other panelists included former Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox, Bainbridge Mayor Edward Reynolds and former Libertarian Party gubernatorial candidate John Monds of Cairo.

Cathy Cox, currently serving as the president of Young Harris College, attributes her hometown roots to her political career.

“As a child, I grew up seeing the positive side to politics. It all goes back to my dad, and that experience let me know I wanted to give back to my community,” she said. Cox also served as this area’s state representative, a seat held by her late father.

John Monds shared why he chose to become a Libertarian candidate. According to Monds, he wanted something “fresh” and he discovered the Libertarian platform would benefit his political views.

“The Libertarian platform was the closest vision to what the Founding Fathers had, and I knew I had found a political home,” he said. “I like that the party allows choices—and as Americans, we should have choices.”

Questions were asked about how the panelists handled standing up for their beliefs against competing interests.

Mayor Edward Reynolds stated he has faced many issues—but has always kept the community’s best interest in mind through tough decision-making processes.

“It takes a certain kind of person to decide what’s best for all. There is always going to be an opposing side, but I try to make the best decision possible through introspection,” he said.

One issue that was brought to the panel addressed low voter turnout, especially during local elections.

According to Cox, low voter turnout can be frustrating—and people can become discouraged from voting by the candidates’ negative campaigning. Many local elections can be won by only two or three votes, as was the case of Ponder’s mayoral victory.

“I encourage my students to educate themselves and vote,” explained Cox. “It’s so essential to our form of government. Don’t just vote during a presidential election, but also locally. It does matter. Your vote counts—and we need more voices out there. Sometimes we don’t get the community’s voice because so few turn out to vote in elections.”

Monds added that more complaining needs to be done within the political system.

“We need more complaining. The system itself needs addressing. Be vocal and active in your local government,” he said.

Representatives of the Decatur County Board of Elections and Voter Registration were on site to help attendees register to vote, demonstrate voting machines and introduce voters to My Voter Page. For more information on voting, contact the Elections Office at (229) 243-2087.