Unofficial reports indicate that more than 500 island voters turned out yesterday to cast their ballots. I understand that the previous high turnout was only 384 voters. I have not yet heard a tally of Tuesday's Ocracoke votes.
Our county (Hyde) has five commissioners. Each one serves a township, but is elected at large. This means that Ocracoke's representative can easily be determined by voters on the mainland who outnumber islanders about 5 to 1. Even if our commissioner wins a majority of island votes, he or she is still outnumbered on the board of commissioners (again, 5 to 1). This is a constant cause of frustration and concern since Ocracokers and mainland Hyde County residents often have very different outlooks and interests.
My hope is that all of our elected officials (national, state, & local) recognize that effective leadership means working for the best interests of all of our citizens, regardless of whom they voted for.
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