Otis Sanford in an October 11 editorial about how the youth vote can make a difference in this campaign:

During a debate last week before members of the Memphis Rotary Club, all four leading candidates -- A C Wharton, 65; Myron Lowery, 62; Charles Carpenter, 57; and Carol Chumney, 48 -- insisted they also are reaching out to younger residents. All said they have young people actively working in their campaigns.

But it was Chumney who spoke most passionately about issues facing young Memphians.

"We've got a lot of young people leaving the city. They don't feel like they have opportunities here. They feel like this is a closed environment. And a lot of them are women.

"The creative class that we want to attract to our city, that other cities are competing for, are women, single professional women (in their) 30s, 40s, 20s.

"What message does it send if someone like me doesn't get to be the mayor, ever? What message does it send to little girls? I think being in a progressive city means giving younger people opportunities, and you give women opportunities too."

In theory, both Whalum and Chumney are right, you know. Most of the people in charge of government around here are from the old school. Young people deserve more of a voice.

And come Thursday, they will get an opportunity to help decide who the next mayor of Memphis will be.