With Election Day just five days away, candidates are busy trying to work the campaign trail in the waning hours to attract a few votes that might make the difference.

In some cases it will work, but by now a lot of voters have already made up their minds.

It’s a fickle thing, the voter.

There’s no real universal method for attracting a voter. Different people look for different things in candidates.

Some voters can be persuaded by a candidate’s appearance, some by a candidate’s work ethic, some by a particular position on a topic, some simply by a candidate’s party. Blocks of voters can be persuaded by a candidate’s promise to help their cause and endorsements are a staple of politics on every level.

The current system has to make the average voter wonder if elections are almost predetermined except for a select few races. On the state level, gerrymandered Congressional districts make it seem like the elected officials are picking the voters instead of the other way around.

But, there is good news.

A person’s vote today is worth just as much value as when this country was originated. In every community, there are some tight races where candidates have to sweat it out on election night.

So the vote, even if it has been compromised in some instances on the state and national levels, is still as powerful as ever. If you don’t believe that, ask any of the candidates running for Ironton mayor, Ironton City Council or the Rock Hill School Board, among other races.

This is the time for elected officials to pay the piper. Have they come through on the promises they made last time around? Have they performed to the public’s expectations? Have they been honest and forthright to their constituents? Do they have a good track record? Is there a need for experience or new blood?

It’s time for you to decide. Go to the polls.

Rick Greene is the managing editor of The Ironton Tribune. He can be reached at (740) 532-1441 or by e-mail at rick.greene@irontontribune.com