Vote

Voting is the essence of democracy. Failing to vote is to become a member of what the media calls the "silent majority" and to open the door for the demise of democracy. The reality is that in a democracy the notion of a "silent majority" is an oxymoron. A more accurate term would be the "silent minority". To not vote is to take the "by the people" out of Lincoln's Gettysburg address "Government of the people, by the people and for the people".

To vote "properly", one needs to be eligible, be registered, know about the candidates and issues, know where to vote, and finally vote.

Voter Eligibility
To be eligible to vote, one must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of the state in which they intend to register
be at least 18 years as of the day of the next election to vote
NOT be in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony.
be registered 29 days prior to the election.

Voter Registration
To be eligible to vote, one must first register. One can register or get registration information in a variety of ways:

through your local Department of Motor Vehiclethrough your county's Registrar of Voters or Elections Office
many states allow one to fill out a voter registration form on-line or to download and print a registration form - often via the state's Secretary of State website.
via specific voter registration websites.

Whom to Vote For?

To vote effectively, one must understand the issues and compare candidates. In most states, Voter Information Pamphlet's are sent to registered voters prior to an election. These pamphlets usually contain information about the issues and candidates. Also a number of web sites offer election information.

Smart Voter is a Web site that offers personalized election information based on a voter's address. Try it out!

Vote 411 is a public interest site for election information. The site is funded by the League of Women Voters. One can simply enter their zip code to find out who's running for offices on their ballot and where the candidates stand on issues you care about.

Where to Vote
o cast ones vote, one needs to know where to vote. Voter information pamphlets usually contain the closest polling location.

Actually Voting
Voting first thing in the morning or scheduling the time to vote are two ways to increase the likelihood that one votes. Visiting the location prior to election day also increases the likelihood of voting.

Absentee Voting
Usually Voter information pamphlets contain an application for an absentee voter's ballot. It takes only a couple of minutes to complete the application. In California, for instance, the Application For Absent Voter's Ballot only requires one's birth date, phone number and signature in addition to the printed name and address information. I was also pleasantly surprised that the Absentee application could be received as late as one week before the general election. The actual absentee ballot is virtual identical to the ballot at voting locations. The only difference is that one punches out their selection rather than do it via a mechanical device.