SHARON R. BROWN, Kennewick

I applaud the efforts of all who took the time to get out the vote.

All too often, people are full of complaints yet they have no plan or intention of acting to right the perceived wrongs.

The Tri-Cities Young Professionals organization took the time and expended a lot of effort to educate voters through its Rock the Vote event.

That event, held in September, was perhaps the largest voter outreach event in the Tri-Cities.

In addition to the Young Professionals event there was another effort, albeit launched with less fanfare, to get senior citizens registered to vote. Renette Martin worked tirelessly to get voter registration material in the hands of seniors.

To all who walked the streets, called from phone banks, got their 18-year-old and college-aged kids on board, in an effort to get people registered to vote -- job well done!

Special recognition should also go to the Benton County Auditor's Office for extending its hours well into the evening, issuing numerous email blasts and using social media to get people, including members of the military stationed overseas, registered.

Whether or not you believe it's a constitutional right or a privilege to vote is an academic argument. The point is that all citizens who care about this country should want to make themselves heard through their votes.