Voter turnout for Tuesday's primary election was less than impressive. With only 21 percent of the register voters of Newton County casting ballots, the voice of many went unheard.

Never is 21 percent acceptable. Of the 49,538 registered voters in Newton County, only 10,603 cast ballots.

The right to vote should be the most coveted of all rights of an American citizen. This is the time to weigh in on how Newton County operates and who does the operating. Not voting is not only a sign of general apathy; it speaks volumes about the current state of civic pride.

Residents who do not register to vote and those who do not use their franchise are only alienating themselves. The primary runoff in three weeks is the perfect opportunity to jump back in to civic responsibility.

Qualified, registered voters do have the opportunity to vote in the August 5 runoff if they did not vote in the primary on Tuesday. As long as the voter was eligible to vote in the primary, he is eligible to vote in the runoff.