The primary runoff election happened recently in the state of Alabama and the candidates are now set for the general election come November. The races themselves, as we have reported and commented on previously this week, went smoothly and, besides the bit of mudslinging that is just part of the political territory, civil.

What wasn’t so great was the voter turnout, in the entire state and right here in Chambers County.

Around this part of the country, it seems everyone has a strong political opinion but, as the numbers show, don’t feel strongly enough to actually act on it.

Only 12.7 percent of registered voters in the state cast a ballot with an even more measly 11.23 percent voting in Chambers County. Even with it being a runoff election instead of a primary or general one, these numbers are still minuscule.

A common theme of discussion amongst Chambers County residents is that of political disagreement. Luckily these discussions are friendly more often than not, and they prove that how our country, state and counties are run is often on people’s minds. Apparently these same lines of thinking are dismissed when defending them means spending a lunch break at a voting precinct.

No matter the election, it is important that we — as a people who have the power to do so — use our vote to decide who runs the country we all live in.