VWB Ned Daniels Deputy of the Grand Master in District 4 of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington for 1999-2000

The Discharge of Your Civil Duties (November 1999)

"All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights."

This assertion comes not from a famous philosopher or world leader of long ago, but from our own Washington State Constitution (Article I, Section 1.)  It's not too often that the State Constitution is quoted, but with the annual General Election upon us, it seemed quite to me.  Particularly in view of the low voter turnout in the recent September Primary Election.

We have all heard many of the arguments as to why some people do not vote.  The reasons run the gamut, including voters being uninformed, casting a ballot is inconvenient, or the election is boring.

Lack of information is difficult to accept considering the newspaper articles that abound, the literature that is either mailed or hand delivered to houses, and candidate's forums that are conducted, and all all the time spent by candidates who go out and doorbell neighborhoods.  And the Voter's Pamphlet mailed out by the County Auditor's and Elections' office contains a wealth of information.

Casting a ballot has been made exceedingly convenient.  Not only are polling places open early in the morning until late at night, voters are encouraged to vote by mail.  Registration for "permanent absentee voting" is encouraged, thus the voter can vote at their leisure - from the convenience of their home - up to two weeks before Election Day.  (Some counties are closely looking at voting by Internet in the near future.)

Too boring, as if our election process is meant to be some sort of entertainment!

Particularly hollow is the "My one vote doesn't count" argument.  This could be the subject of a whole other dissertation, but I won't go into that.  However, by way of example, in the recent September 1999 primary election for mayor of a city in Snohomish County, only 17% of the persons eligible to vote actually cast a ballot.  The results of this three-way race were close.  The incumbent received about 38% of the votes, and the other two candidates were close behind, each receiving 31% - with only two votes separating them.

Our form of government is a participatory one in which each citizen who reaches that certain age have the right to both register to vote - and to vote.  And one of the fundamentals of our citizenship is exercising our right to vote.  I have heard it forcefully expressed that it is more than our right - it is our duty to vote.

In our democracy, as responsible citizens and Masons, if we are to indeed "protect and maintain individual rights," we are not obligated to exercise our civil duty to vote, thereby granting "the consent of the governed?"

I like to think that we, as Masons, take our obligations of citizenship more serious than the average person in the general population.   After all, from the charge to all Entered Apprentice Masons in our Washington Monitor and Freemason's Guide, we are so instructed.  "As a citizen, you are enjoined to be exemplary in the discharge of your civil duties ..."

Thanks to both the Deputy of the Grand Master in District 4, and the Masonic Monitor which publishes his articles for allowing us to reprint them.  The Masonic Monitor is published monthly (except August) under approval of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington.  The Masonic Monitor can be contacted at: 6619 132nd Avenue NE, PMB 237, Kirkland, WA, 98033-8627, USA.  Phone: (425) 822-4605 - FAX: (425) 822-2535 - Email: masonicmonitor@earthlink.net.