You can still register to vote in the General Election

Among the crucial items to vote for in the upcoming elections is a measure regarding public education. GETTY/Special

As patriotic and responsible citizens it is important for us to vote in every election and on every issue. Some have stated that the upcoming general election may be the most important one in decades. Some have indicated that they cannot with a good conscience vote for any of the presidential candidates. If that is true of you, let me remind you that there are other issues on the ballot that should be of concern to you.

Sue Ella Deadwyler, a conservative Capitol correspondent, has written a column for Georgia Insight to inform us of the importance of voting in the upcoming general election. She also highlights a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Georgia that should be of interest to all Georgians. Please read her comments carefully and advisedly.

Deadwyler writes, “The deadline for registering to vote in the General Election is October 11th. Early in-person voting is scheduled for October 17th through November 4th, the Friday before the General Election. To accommodate those who can’t vote during the week, all polls will be open Saturday October 29th; some local polls may choose to open on Saturday or Sunday.

“While candidates get most of the attention, also on November 8th voters will decide whether to make four changes to the State Constitution. In addition to those four questions, some ballots contain questions for local residents to decide.”

Deadwyler states her opinion about Question No. 1, which is a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Georgia – an amendment that will be on all Georgia ballots.

Deadwyler insists, “If (this proposed amendment) were to pass, (a) it would add a new government-controlled, tax-payer funded bureaucracy that would (b) destroy local control over public education. (c) The governor would pay an un-specified salary to someone he appoints to be a ‘shadow’ state school superintendent. (d) Tax payers will fund un-specified office space, equipment, expense accounts, staff salaries and benefits for a new permanent bureaucracy. (e) The appointed shadow school superintendent would assume authority constitutionally given the current school superintendent when he was elected in 2014. (f) All school districts in the state would become ONE huge school district subject to the ‘shadow’ appointed superintendent, (g) who will decide which schools are ‘failing.’ (h) Schools deemed failing by the ‘shadow’ superintendent would be removed from the management and control of locally elected school boards.

“The governor’s appointee could take control of twenty public schools per year and make unlimited changes, even to the extreme of closing schools, firing the staff, displacing students, and re-assigning students to schools across district lines. If Question No. 1 passes, the shadow superintendent would have regional power rather than local power and regionalism would control Georgia schools. Regionalism is appointed government, which is unconstitutional in this state.

“Question No. 1 is worded this way: ‘Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance?’”

Deadwyler adds, “That question does not explain the drastic adverse effects of such a change. Vote ‘no’ on Question No. 1.”

Your objective should be to become an informed voter. Learn all you can about the people and issues that will appear on your ballot and vote your convictions.