COURTLAND
Even in a year without a presidential or gubernatorial race, a number of Southampton County residents made it a priority on Tuesday to cast their votes and either retain Dr. Alan Edwards, Barry Porter and Glenn Updike on the county’s board of supervisors, or to replace them with Yvonne Rose, Earva Jones Sumblin and Randolph Cooke, respectively.

“It all starts with the community,” said Pat Miller, who has voted since she was 18 years old. “How our community is reflects our nation. It’s important to be involved and to let people know who are running the country whether they’re doing a good job or not.”

George Kitchen and his wife, Ann, nodded in agreement, adding, “People should be just as interested in the local government as you are in state and federal.”

Statistics from the Virginia Department of Elections shows that voters across the commonwealth do not agree with the Kitchens’ statement, however, as only 41.6 percent of those registered voted in 2014, compared to 71.8 percent in 2012 — the last presidential election.

“All elections are important,” Greg Vick of Courtland said. “It’s important to exercise the right that the country was founded on so that everyone has a voice in who represents you.”