Editor’s note: Ernest Angelo, Jr. served as mayor of Midland from 1972 to 1980. A lifelong oilman and civic leader, he co-managed Ronald Reagan’s 1976 presidential primary campaign in Texas. He helped guide Midland through years of rapid growth during the city’s early energy boom.

Voter turnout in Midland has been low for years. In some elections, only a small fraction of registered voters decide who will represent the entire community. That means a handful of ballots can shape how our tax dollars are spent, how roads are repaired, and how the city plans for growth.

To illustrate this point with facts relevant to all Midlanders, the November 2023 School Bond election serves as a stark example of the power of a minority of voters. At the time, Midland reported 94,385 registered voters. Only 22,116 votes, or 23% of those registered, were cast in the bond election.

While the $1.4 billion school bond passed 56% to 43%, in reality, only 12,412 voters, or 13.5% of all registered voters, approved it. At the time, it was described by local news stations as “the 8th largest school bond ever to pass in Texas, and the largest school bond ever passed in West Texas.” An even starker example is to consider that the bond passed by 2,708 votes, or 2.8% of those registered to vote.

Too many people today think their vote doesn’t matter. As I’ve just highlighted, that sentiment clearly is not true.

The direction of our community is determined by those who show up. When citizens decide their participation isn’t needed, they hand over the responsibility of self-government to a smaller and smaller group. That’s not what democracy was built for, and it’s not what built Midland.

Complacency is one of the quietest ways a community can lose its footing. Elections can turn on a handful of votes, and when turnout drops, results don’t always reflect the community as a whole.

The decisions made here often affect our lives more directly than anything passed in Austin or Washington. Each of those choices begins with one simple act, casting a ballot. Voting is about showing up, paying attention, and holding leadership accountable. A healthy democracy depends on how many people care enough to participate.

Midland’s success has always come from citizens who take ownership in business, in faith, and in public life. That same sense of responsibility belongs in the voting booth.

The Midland we get is the one we choose. No matter the issue, we owe it to our Constitutionally-granted freedom to ensure that more than 13% of our community decides issues of importance to all of us. Let’s all take part in choosing it.