To the editor:

Over the last few days, I have heard people expressing their fears regarding possible harassment — or even violence — at the polls. In short, they’re saying that they are afraid to vote. This is no less tragic for being tragically understandable. It is no secret that candidates of one of the major parties have been more insistent and more skilled over the long-haul at sewing anxiety among their opponents and stoking anger among their supporters. Whether well-founded or not, both anxiety and anger are abundant on both sides of the political divide. Regardless of our home town political squabbles, this is something I have never seen locally … could not even have imagined until very recently.

We have a choice to make. We can trust our fellow Adirondackers to conduct themselves civilly on November 5 and engage ourselves in doing our civic duty, or we can let fear prevail. If we choose the latter, we will have done exactly what those who use fear as a political strategy want us to do, and they will win. Let us not hand victory to those who seek to rule by intimidation. Some folks have been convinced that our elections are “rigged.” So, why bother voting? If the election is rigged, and we vote, we might lose; but, whether the election is rigged or not, if we don’t vote, losing is guaranteed.

Unless applying in person, the time to apply for a mail in ballot has passed. If we haven’t submitted our application in person at our county board of elections office by Nov. 4, we will have to vote in person. Whether we do that early (in Malone or Lake Placid or Elizabethtown) or at our local polling place on election day, we must do it. The alternative is not viable. We must exercise our right to vote — even if we are afraid. If we fail to do so, we invite the loss of every other right we still have.

Phil Gallos

Saranac Lake