Jacob Dimond / jake@yelmonline.com
With the Tuesday, Nov. 4, general election less than a month away in Thurston County, the City of Yelm’s two mayoral candidates — incumbent Joe DePinto and former mayor JW Foster — each voiced the importance of registering to vote and participating in local elections.
In 2017, when DePinto and Foster previously squared off in a Yelm mayoral race, the election came down to just 14 votes. Foster, with 633 votes, narrowly defeated DePinto, who had 619 total votes. Four years later, when DePinto ran against former candidate Dennise Butler for the position of mayor in 2021, only 1,370 eligible voters turned out to cast their votes in the race, which is roughly 10% of Yelm’s total population.
With just a 14-vote difference eight years ago when DePinto and Foster last challenged each other for the position of mayor, it shows that quite literally every vote matters.
“Voter turnout is so important,” DePinto said. “You might not see it in big races, like for president, and you might not feel like your vote matters as much when there are millions of voters. When you go down to the local level of government, you’re talking about a couple thousand people who are voting. Your vote and voice matters so much.
“If you don’t vote, people will lose by a few votes,” he continued. “I lost by 14 votes in the only election I lost, one year after I was a councilor. Every single vote is so important. I encourage everyone to make sure their voice is heard. Getting out and voting in local elections is very important.”
Along the same lines, Foster echoed the importance of voting in local elections — and described the process as an experiment of democracy.
“I get that people get apathetic. They feel their vote doesn’t count, and believe that things are going to happen anyways. It’s too bad they feel that way, because as Americans, we put this whole democratic experiment together based on citizen participation. We have given ourselves the right to govern ourselves, and if we’re not exercising that right, it’s like we don’t believe in the experiment of democracy,” Foster said. “Don’t be frustrated. Be motivated that your vote can make a difference. Especially in local elections, because those can sometimes come down to where a few votes can make the difference.Look at the candidates, see the ones you think are going to work towards building the Yelm that you want, and vote for that person.”
Additionally, Foster encouraged all residents of voting age to go out and register to vote. Registration can occur through Tuesday, Nov. 4, and same-day registration is available. He also encouraged local servicemembers and their families to register and participate in local elections.
“If you haven’t registered yet, you still have time. A special shoutout to our friends in the military too,” Foster said. “I know a lot of them feel like they’d lose their home of record if they register locally. That’s not true. Their home of record is permanent, and it never changes. They’re encouraged by the military to register to vote in their PCS station wherever they are, so they can have an impact on the community they live in and set the stage for the community to be the kind of place future servicemembers and families can enjoy.”
