Want to protect democracy in 2024? Get involved in the new year's elections. | Editorial

Brace yourself. Tomorrow's the start of 2024. If 2023 was a year of annoying incivility, seemingly insurmountable societal problems and ridiculous political shenanigans, 2024 will be the year that you can — and should — do something about it by simply paying attention and getting involved.

Imagine what would happen if a sizeable number of the county's 851,000-plus registered voters joined the already 224,920 voters that county elections officials have labeled "inactive?" No big deal? Hardly. Their absence will just be another's benefit. That's why involvement, whether it's voting, taking time to know the issues, contributing to the candidates of your choice or volunteering with the Supervisor of Elections office to work the polls are so important.

More: Did Trump make "bad political move" by calling for repeal of Obamacare? Maybe, maybe not

Democracy requires involvement, and this year, involvement in some shape or form will be critical.

Take a moment and ask yourself, what difference will those 160 lawmakers meeting in Tallahassee next week really make in my life? Why should I bother with the municipal elections? Or, perhaps consider a worse rationale to stay on the sidelines: My vote won't matter. In truth, it does.

Pay attention. Many pols don't believe you will.

State lawmakers will end up making new laws and crafting a new state budget, and don't fool yourselves, those legislators are listening. Unfortunately, the voices they're hearing often don't belong to their hometown constituents. Business concerns and outside political interests hold sway in the state capitol, in part due to the lack of any real input from the electorate. How many of us even know who our state senators and representatives are, much less understand the importance of maintaining a presence with them and their staff to ensure our concerns are heard.

We must do better in noting lawmakers' votes during the session to make informed choices when the names of those lawmakers will be on the ballot during this year's elections.

Municipal elections will take on greater importance this year, as some Palm Beach County communities are grappling with annexations, land use and new services that will have a very real impact on local taxes. For example, Palm Beach Gardens and Wellington officials are pushing annexations to grow their communities. The change should get homeowners in those communities thinking: Will the change bring in more revenue or will it raise taxes to pay for city services in the new areas?

The primary votes offer registered Democrats and Republicans the chance to choose their party's candidates for important posts. In March, they will pick their nominees for president. In August, they will choose candidates for county commission, sheriff, state attorney and public defender. The results could reshape the politics, programs and regulations coming out of county government.

In this case, party registration has its privileges. Florida remains a closed primary state, which means only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in primary elections. Frustrated "independents" and non-party affiliates are locked out of the primaries.

Democracy is not a spectator sport

Nov. 12 is the red-letter date of elections. The expected showdown between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump may be a turnoff for many voters who prefer other candidates and have hinted that they'd rather stay home than vote for the "lesser of two evils." As tempting as it might seem, sitting out the 2024 presidential election isn't a viable option.

The 2024 election offers a real choice. Biden and Trump are two very different candidates with very distinct track records as presidents. Climate change, crime, the economy, the Mideast, healthcare, immigration reform, Russia — their views on domestic and world issues are about as far apart as anyone can imagine. Whoever wins, their view of the U.S. and the world will impact America's future.

Your participation in the electoral process is a basic American right. Don't abuse it by ignoring it. 2024 presents an important opportunity to exercise that right. Participate. Do it.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 2024: America's opportunity to get involved in protecting democracy