To the Editor:

Ms. Sallie Smith Bradley will celebrate her 98th birthday on Saturday, March 3, at her residence in the Big Cove community of Cherokee. Congratulations Ms. Bradley.

The gift I would like to give to Sallie Smith Bradley is access to one-stop voting at The Ginger Lynn Welch Center. Mrs. Bradley deserves our thanks for sending a letter to The Swain County Board of Elections requesting a more convenient voting site for the folks living and working in the most eastern part of Swain County. Her request was fulfilled, with thanks to the Swain County Board of Elections. The One-Stop Site was opened for the 2010 elections.

The 2012 elections are drawing near and this voting site must be approved and funded by the Swain County Board of Commissioners because federal/state funding for this purpose has been frozen due to political infighting. On Feb. 28 at 6 p.m., the chairman of Swain County Board of Elections will request the funds from the Swain County Commissioners.

Please join me in attending the county commissioners meeting at The Swain County Administration Building to show support for the one-stop voting site at the Ginger Lynn Welch Center. The Ginger Lynn Welch voting site not only helps the voters who live in the eastern part of the county, but will also helps folks from the western end of the county who work in and around Cherokee. Voting and easy access to voting go hand-in-hand with freedom. Sallie Smith Bradley understands this all too well.

Ginger Gaither

Swain County Democratic Party Chairperson