For the first election in recent memory, many of you braved the rain yesterday to go to the polls. You had heard that Alabama’s voters wouldn’t have much say in the presidential race. That may be so. But whether your candidate won or loss, your single vote went forward into what is called the popular vote.

Your vote that you cast yesterday is one of the rights guaranteed to each American and it should be exercised.

We offer our congratulations to the two who won the County Commission races.

Now it is time to get to work. In the next four years, you’ll have to deal with expansion in population that this county has never seen before. More industry will mean more jobs but let’s not forget things like keeping our county green and clean. You will face the decision to build a new jail. This is a must for us no matter who holds the title of sheriff. It’s bigger than that. It’s called staving off federal lawsuits and protecting citizens of this county.

Roads will continue to need improvement and news ones will be needed.

So to the new commission class, you have lots of work ahead of you, but we have faith in your abilities. We know you will always put the needs of this county before your own. And you have four years to prove that.

We wish that we could have reported that every registered voter exercised their right yesterday, but we know that’s just not possible. It is ironic that a vote is useless unless it is used. So to those who chose not to vote on Tuesday, your vote is now silent for at least the next four years.