By Leslie Luna

More than 58 million people exercised their right to vote in the presidential primaries that wrapped up on June 14. Turnout was high during this primary season but not quite at the record participation level set in 2008, that’s according to a recent report by the Pew Research Center.

Locally, the Registrar of Voters office reports San Diego County’s voter turnout was at 31% on election night, but once the election is certified, turnout is expected to be closer to 50%. In comparison, Carlsbad had a turnout of nearly 36% on election night.

“It’s a respectable turnout, but of course we always want more. We want people to go out and cast their ballots,” said Registrar of Voters Michael Vu. “At the end of the day it doesn’t matter if we are talking about businesses or  individuals, it all falls down to this one thing our country is founded on which is our ability to vote and everything falls in and out of that.”

I felt it was important for me to fulfill a sense of civic duty and simultaneously satisfy my curiosity about how the mechanics of a democracy really work, so I signed up to be a poll worker. It was an honor to be a volunteer and know I did something for my community despite the 16-hour day. I voted alongside hundreds of my fellow community members, 200 to be exact. It was my duty and I was delighted to help so many of my neighbors.

In our April issue we challenged our membership to get out and vote, and the challenge was accepted, 96% of our members who responded to a recent survey said they were planning on voting in California’s Primary Election.

There’s an African proverb that comes to mind as we gear toward the DNC and GOP conventions in Philadelphia and Cleveland respectively that states: “To ask well is to know much.” Good questions are powerful. Questions spark thoughts and thoughts spark actions. As a matter of fact, Americans are grappling with some important questions as our nation determines who will be our next President.

The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce asked its members to share their views and concerns on the presidential race, and nearly 200 members shared their opinions. Now that the California primary is behind us, here’s a sampling of responses from our members’ views on democracy and the way life in this country is changing.

A whopping 70% of our members say they feel the country has gotten on the wrong track. On the other hand, 60% say they trust the government in Washington is doing what’s best for Americans, while 40% say they are confident in the success and growth of their businesses within the next decade.

An overwhelming majority of our members think the presidential election process isn’t effective and it needs to be reworked. Members also raised concerns about the state of the economy, healthcare, and immigration. Many more want to hear about each presidential candidate’s stance on education reform, the creation of jobs, the environment, and small business support.

At a time when there’s so much political divide in our country, I believe our divisions can be mended, provided the next president brings some serious leadership skills to the table. We asked our members what qualities our next President must have. Most of our respondents want a Presidential candidate that is a strong leader, a candidate who is seen as honest and has integrity. These are followed by preferences for a candidate’s willingness to stand up for his/her principles, a candidate that knows how to run a business, a great listener and a candidate who is a team player and can get the job done across party lines.

The City’s next municipal election is on November 8. Two City Council seats will be up for election, those held by Mayor Pro Tem Lorraine Wood and Council Member Keith Blackburn.

Look for the Chamber’s City Council Candidate Forum in the fall. The Chamber will ask a handful of questions on business related matters to each of the City Council candidates and we will print their responses in our September issue of the Carlsbad Business Journal.