Our right to vote is sacred. My mother instilled this belief in me at an early age. She, a Catholic, born in 1901, grew up in North Ireland. They were under British rule. At that time, only landowners had the right to vote. Very few Catholics owned land, therefore, a whole segment of the population was disenfranchised. She emigrated to the United States in 1925 and eventually became a citizen. The right to vote came with it. Many times I went with her to the voting booth in our neighborhood, where she cast her vote. In time, I did the same.
She believed then, as I do now, that the Erie County Board of Elections Officials responsibly carry out the duties of their office. We must trust this to be true, throughout our country, to maintain the integrity of our elections.
I encourage everyone eligible to register to vote and vote in every election. It is our sacred right.
Ethnea Runfola
Orchard Park