Chairman of election commission, who served in Vietnam, shares why every vote matters

Election days oddly bring communities together as they enjoy the right to cast a ballot, while others may have forgotten why they even have the ability to vote.

“People just don’t take advantage of the constitutional right that they have to vote.”

Danny Glaskox is chairman of the election commission, a career he’s worked in for 20 years. He took this job after serving our country in Vietnam.

In a way, Glaskox is still defending the right for Americans to have the freedom to vote.

“There are many things that go into an election that many people don’t understand,” Glaskox said, “The bottom line is… if you don’t come out and vote, you don’t have a choice of anything. So, no room to complain afterward when the election is over.”

Voting has changed a lot in Glaskox’s 20 years, like Jackson County rolling out new equipment.

Each voter will fill out a paper ballot and insert that ballot into a scanner — creating a paper trail.

“If you try to scan a ballot, and it doesn’t scan for one reason or another, the screen will tell you exactly why it didn’t scan,” he said. “These poll workers are trained to explain to the voter exactly what is happening. They get a second chance, or even a third chance if they need it to vote because you can vote up to three paper ballots. If you mess one up, you can get another one. And, then, the voter can be assured that that ballot did count.”

Voter turn out at the Ocean Springs Civic Center has been low. We may not know the reason why Mississippi has low voter turnout, but many Mississippians are committed to the election process. One man tells us that he votes because unlike many, he has the freedom to do so.

Pastor Kelvin Bolden said, “Putting your name down on a ballot, and selecting the individual that you think is right to do the job – then, you’re doing what you’re supposed to do.”

“Every vote does count,” Danny Glaskox said. “Whether they think it does or now, it does. Trust me.”