It’s almost time to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at your normal precinct voting location. Early voting in South Carolina, known as in-person absentee voting, will begin on Oct. 10. Rules on who may vote early are fairly liberal, e.g., over 65, or working during normal voting hours on Election Day, or away on business or pleasure, etc.

There are two locations for early voting in Beaufort County: 61-B Ulmer Road in Bluffton and 15 John Galt Road in Beaufort, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Oct. 10 and Nov. 7. Advice from the Board of Registration and Elections is to vote as early during this timeframe as possible, since the lines get longer as Election Day approaches.

Along with local offices on the ballot, all voters will be able to vote for president.

Republican Donald Trump is dangerous, unfit to serve, and temperamentally unqualified for the office. Through his statements, he has denigrated women (particularly those who may be overweight), wants to build a wall to keep Hispanics out of the U.S., and wants to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. He even tweeted that people should view a non-existent pornographic tape of a former Miss Universe whom he referred to as Miss Piggy, etc.

He would proliferate nuclear weapons by sharing them with countries such as South Korea and Saudi Arabia. He would cause a rupture in NATO by blackmailing member states through forcing them to pay for our participation and support. He has developed a bromance with Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to cyber-hack into Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton internet systems.

Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson is totally unqualified, not knowing what Aleppo is and unable to name a single world leader whom he admires. Past and present platforms of his Libertarian Party include the following tenets: repeal of federal campaign finance laws; abolishing the Federal Election Commission; abolishing Medicare and Medicaid; and repealing Social Security by making it voluntary. Heard enough? His party also opposes requirements of safety belts, air bags, and crash helmets; and abolishes all government welfare and tax-supported services for children. Why would any former Bernie Sanders supporters sign up for Gary Johnson?

Jill Stein is the Green Party candidate. She, too, is totally unqualified to be president. She opposes vaccinations for children. Need I say any more? But there is lots more that says voting for Jill or Gary is the same as voting for Donald. It is not a protest vote; it is a vote for Trump.

Now, why should you vote for Hillary Clinton? First, she is not a felon. She is not crooked. She has, however, like most of us, made mistakes. Having her own personal server is one mistake. She has said so and she has apologized for doing it.

Hillary has worked for children, their health and education her entire adult life. She is working to combat terrorism and protect our homeland. She is working to create jobs for the middle class. She will work for immigration reform across the political aisle. She is the most qualified person ever to seek the presidency. Retired military leaders, Republican and Democratic diplomats and senior officeholders and newspapers have endorsed her.

We can be stronger together. Vote for Hillary Clinton for president.

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 12:34 PM with the headline "It’s almost time to vote."