To the Editor:

It was a pleasant surprise to see that the Reporter covered my appearance on Joe Heisler. I think it important to convey the facts.

Charlotte Golar Richie came in a solid third, receiving almost twice as many votes as the next two candidates of color: Felix Arroyo, who came in fifth, and John Barros, who came in sixth. In fact, Charlotte, with 15,500 votes, earned almost as many votes as these two worthy candidates, who each received in the vicinity of 8,000 plus votes.

What I wish had been included in the article is my dismay that a stunning 70 percent of eligible voters stayed home! People can say what they want about one’s responsibility to get out the vote, but you can’t drag folks to the polls who decide not to go.

So why didn’t they turn out? Was it voter fatigue from so many special elections? Were there too many candidates? Finding the causes and then working to educate the electorate about the value of the vote, in particular people of color, who make up a majority of the city but not of the electorate, will be the key to greater empowerment.

Joyce Ferriabough
Roxbury