November 2 is Election Day. Do you know who you’re voting for…are you even planning to vote? If you are a US citizen and answered no to either or both questions – shame on you. Voting is a privilege and a right.
Just few years ago in Iraq, people had the opportunity to vote for the first time in years. Thousands of men and women risked their lives to get to their polling place so they could cast their ballots. Many died. You won’t have to but you do have to set aside about 30 minutes of your time. Early morning and 5-8pm seem to be the busiest times, so if you can go mid-day, you can be in and out.
The most time you’ll use is to find out who’s who and what’s what. Campaign ads are likely to turn you off because they are loaded with misinformation. But in our country today, there are big issues that affect young and old alike. They’re different issues, but no less important to each of the groups.
If you’re registered, you don’t have to vote your party of registration. You can vote a “straight ticket” – meaning you vote for everyone on one party’s line up, or ticket. Or, you can split your vote and cast your ballot for the candidates who most align with your values – and that may mean a woman or man from one party supports some of your beliefs while someone for the other party supports others.
Either way, vote for the person who has said they will vote the way that models your beliefs.
If you aren’t sure about where to go, how to vote, what the candidates stand for and, if they are already serving you in Congress , how they’ve already voted, there are places to get the info:
http://www.smartvoter.org – Smart Voter is a wealth of info. They say they provide “nonpartisan information on elections and voting. Our goal is to offer the complete list of all contests on your ballot including local offices.”
If you want to know what the current person in office (the incumbent) has done while s/he has been serving, go to: http://www.votesmart.org – This group of volunteers compiles everything from bio information about your officials to their voting records, political statements and campaign finances.
Make it a point on Tuesday to exercise your rights.
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