Civic duties don’t stop at the voting booth.

Voters in Shelby County turned out in droves last Tuesday. More than 80 percent of registered voters inthe state’s fastest-growing county cast ballots.

Hopefully, voters will remain active.

The presidential election of 2004 captured the public’s attention. Voters felt compelled to go to the polls and make their decision for who should direct the nation’s future. Issues such as the war in Iraq, the struggling economy and morality created interest in the election.

In the United States, most decisions that affect daily life occur at the local level. In Alabama, our legislators are gathered in Montgomery this week to adjust the state’s insurance plans for teachers and state employees. It’s an issue so complex that the Governor deemed a separate legislative session necessary to address it.

Hopefully, voters will remember that they do make a difference. Don’t let your local council members, commissioners and legislators forget that