For the concept of Democracy to work anywhere in the world the secret is citizen participation at all levels -- from candidates meeting and greeting, to volunteers contributing their time and talents to both the candidates and the electoral process, to the voters themselves.
Participatory Democracy was in full swing last week at various polling places through Mount Vernon and Lee districts. Even the PTA got into the act by selling bake goods at polling places. Voters turn out for a variety of reasons and/or issues, but as summarized by Don McKinney after casting his ballot at Riverside Elementary School on Old Mount Vernon Road, "Voting is my patriotic duty."