Herbkersman: Take time to study ballot questions before heading to polls Just a reminder for those of you who might be thinking of voting a straight ticket: Please choose your candidate for president, as well as school board members. If you want to make your vote count, you have to follow the electoral instructions. Also, since there are some fairly complicated referendum measures included on the ballot, it will help us all to save the sample ballots in the newspapers, study them, and be efficient and informed when you enter the polling place. This will make the lines move considerably more quickly. In this political season, we have politics inside of politics, especially as we choose our leadership in the House for the upcoming session. The Beaufort County delegation was instrumental in urging the candidacy and ultimate selection of Rep. Jim Merrill as the new House majority leader. Merrill is from District 99, which is in the Charleston/Daniel Island area. Even though he is a fairly young man, he is a seasoned political administrator, having worked at various times for the late Congressman Floyd Spence and Gov. Mark Sanford, when he was Congressman Sanford. The party organization on our side of the aisle will benefit immensely from the leadership we are confident will flow from the majority leader. Many of you may remember during my first election campaign I stressed the need for the revitalization of the Coastal Caucus in the House of Representatives. I felt then (as I do now) that the coastal areas of our great state need more attention. While we generate the lion's share of the state's revenue, our portion of the state's reinvestment never seems to materialize. Our transportation infrastructure is far behind our need and our environmental regulatory regime is often more appropriate for the Upstate rather than the particular needs of the coast. Merrill was one of the first and most enthusiastic believers in the positive potential of a revitalized Coastal Caucus. With Representative Merrill as House majority leader, I know we will see a legislative agenda that will reflect a greater understanding of the needs, as well as the economic potential of the coastal areas of South Carolina. I also look forward to working with a friend who is well liked and admired by colleagues, both Republican and Democrat. Once again, I urge you to come out on Nov. 13 and participate in the Alzheimer's Walk at Sun City. There is also Polo for Charity on at 2 p.m. Sunday at Rose Hill in Bluffton. General admission is $10. Do your duty on Election Day. Even if there is a line, it's important to vote. Voting is the foundation of our political process and inconvenience is not an acceptable excuse for nonparticipation. Without the vote, it wouldn't be called the House of Representatives. Bill Herbkersman represents District 118 in the South Carolina House of Representatives. He can be reached through his Web site at www.herbkersman.com or by telephone at 757-7900. He is assigned to the agriculture, natural resources and environmental affairs committees. Click here to return to story: http://www.lowcountrynow.com/stories/102504/LOCherbkersman.shtml