In order to engage our readers, we placed a poll online at TryonDailyBulletin.com  July 31 with the intention of running it two weeks. The purpose was to gauge whether our readers felt the Polk County Board of Commissioners was proceeding on the Inman Campobello Water District contract in a manner that is in the best interest of Polk County and its citizens. Voters could agree strongly, agree somewhat, disagree strongly, disagree somewhat, be neutral or undecided.

Before the poll, we had been hearing and publishing letters from a vocal opposition group, and we were curious where, or whether, there was support for the commissioner majority and the water contract from a less vocal populace. If they weren’t writing in or speaking at commission meetings, maybe they’d show up on a poll.

We promoted the poll in the newspaper (front page) and on Facebook. We would describe the results over the past 11 days as an intermittent, but gathering strength stream, with the overwhelming majority of votes (more than 400) cast for “Disagree strongly,” 12 cast for “Agree Strongly,” and a handful for neutral and undecided.

That is, until Aug. 11 at 1:47 p.m.

Suddenly, votes for “Agree strongly” came pouring in, one after the next in rapid-fire succession. In a little over two hours, 300 votes were cast for “Agree Strongly” and 14 votes cast for “Agree Somewhat.”

With computers and their IP addresses, it’s easy and quick to trace what’s going on. Apparently, one computer user felt strongly enough on the issue that they voted more than 300 times to make their point.

To this person we would ask: If you feel so moved to take 2.5 hours out of your day to vote 300 times to skew an opinion poll, why not instead use that time to write a letter to the editor laying out the reasons for your support of the commissioners and/or their work on the contract?

Because one thing these pages have been lacking is an argument from our readers in favor, or in support of, the contract. We are more than willing to print such letters. We just haven’t received any. This invitation extends to the commissioner majority as well.

Polk’s water contract is a serious issue, and deserves in-depth, reasoned, researched, mature contemplation from multiple angles and perspectives, not juvenile antics on a newspaper website opinion poll. All letters are welcomed at news@tryondailybulletin.com.

Reporter Leah Justice will file a story for Friday’s paper using final poll figures that do not include Tuesday’s multiple voter. The poll was closed earlier than planned Tuesday afternoon.

Yes, it was an unscientific, nonbinding online opinion poll, but many people took it seriously, and voted once. Thank you to those people.

Claire Sachse
Managing Editor