The right and obligation to rule ourselves is one of the most fundamental expressions of the patrimony handed to us by our foreparents.

November 5 has been announced as the date for the next general elections in St Vincent and the Grenadines and every person who is entitled to vote is strongly encouraged to do so.

We are especially appealing to first time voters, who are welcomed to this ritual of citizenship and shared ownership of this land of ours.

This salute to their initiation into enjoying the rights and bearing the burden of responsible citizenship is enormously important because they are the ones who would have to carry on this tradition in the decades that lie before us.

The special 15-day period, which allows for registration of persons who are eligible to vote for the first time is ongoing and ends on October 24. Our young citizens who have not yet been issued with their first identification card are reminded to act immediately to ensure they are able to participate in that most important exercise on November 5. There is power in our vote.

It is our declaration that we are a self-governing people. It is an expression of our patriotism, our vision of who we strive to be — participants in carving out our destiny.

Voting is both a judgment of the past and a statement of what we would like our future to be.

Politicians on both sides of the fence have deployed the full paraphernalia of persuasion in their efforts to win our vote. They have been reaching out to us on social media, on television, radio, by telephone, in the newspapers, and most recently by Whatsapp messages.

They are also trying to woo us with music and other forms of entertainment. By all means, embrace the excitement of the campaign. But while we continue to enjoy the creative works that our general elections inspire – the songs, the slogans, dances and speeches, it is only by casting that vote on November 5 that we will have a say.

New voters, new politicians, new directions, new possibilities are all part of the compact we renew with ourselves to hold a government accountable to the people. It is a freedom we must always cherish.

Get registered, go out and vote!!