Vote.

[KnottedYet]

The election cycle B.S. is starting up in the US media.

The last couple days I've been wearing my "VOTE" t-shirt to run in.

And then this morning I just ran across this quote from Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/read/2011/08/21/if-i-were-president

Please, people. Remember to vote.

(on average only 1/2 the registered voters bother to vote)

[goldfinch]

I am, of course, in love with Neil DeGrasse Tyson. :)

Yes. Vote. And most important, educate yourself.

[bmccasland]

So I lived in Louisiana a tad too long :rolleyes::cool:

I've voted in almost every election I could. Must admit I've missed a couple of small ones, like school board.

I've wondered who would be in the White House over the years if 3/4 of the eligible voters actually made it to the polls.

If you don't vote, then you don't get to gripe either.

[OakLeaf]

Just remember something I read in B*tch Magazine a few years back.

Voting is like brushing your teeth.

Granted if you don't do it, things will get ugly really quick. But don't expect that it's the only thing you need to do, to keep things working the way they ought to.

[Biciclista]

Just remember something I read in B*tch Magazine a few years back.

Voting is like brushing your teeth.

Granted if you don't do it, things will get ugly really quick. But don't expect that it's the only thing you need to do, to keep things working the way they ought to.

good one. I just wish I had better choices to vote for... :(

[Trek420]

good one. I just wish I had better choices to vote for... :(

Even if you don't like one of more candidates for one or more positions there will be one who you respect and like. Find a local dog catcher, supervisor, school board member who you respect and volunteer. Find a bond issue you believe in and put a placard on your lawn. Don't be afraid of what the neighbors will think or say if you put a placard out or walk/bike the precinct.

I don't care how you vote (well, ok, yeah I do) but it matters that you do.

[Koronin]

We're in the process of changing voter registration to where we currently live. This year I had no reason to vote in the primaries, may not vote in Nov this year either since I have zero clue as to anything with the local politics here or who in the world anyone is. I will be voting next year. I'm also changing my party affiliation to unaffiliated.

[marni]

It is important to vote. If you can't find someone to believe in, vote to counter balance the idiot down the street.

[Kathi]

VOTE!!!!

How many realize that women didn't get the right to vote until 1920. I didn't look up the exact dates but it took nearly 100 years for the suffragette movement to succeed in getting women voting rights.

My great grandmother died in 1936. That means she got to vote in 4 presidential elections. My grandmother was 37 when she cast her 1st vote. The women in my family saw voting as an important civic duty. I remember how excited my mom and grandmother were the day I voted for the 1st time.

If you're not excited about the candidates or issues vote to honor the women who worked so hard to give us the privilege, many of whom never enjoyed that privilege themselves.

[Koronin]

Right at the moment my problem is I don't know who any candiates are, what anyone is running for or if there are even any issues to vote on in Nov. I know there are no state wide elections for anything this year in this state. The only thing would be local and heck if I have a clue what is going on locally. We may have a population of around 80,000 people but the only local media is a newspaper that isn't that great. The "local" TV stations are in other cities anywhere from 30 miles away to an hour away. They don't cover stuff here. I did get my voter registration change of address/county thing mailed in this week. Heck I don't even know if there is anything to vote for in Nov. As for our primaries. Heck good luck figuring when they heck they are being held in the first place. It seems for presidential election years they are held in late July the rest of the time they are in either August or September. Yes I'll vote next year in the primaries and the Nov elections. Hmmmm, I truly don't even know if we actually even have anything to vote on here. I know some towns/cities have some board elections locally, but no idea if where I live has anything at all to vote on.

[OakLeaf]

Doesn't your Secretary of State have a website? Is there a League of Women Voters?

[jelee1311]

Its amazing people will vote for American Idol by the millions but can't be bothered to vote in presidential elections even when they send you a ballot.

[Koronin]

jelee, that's next year, I'll be voting then. I'm talking about this year. There are no state elections, the only elections are local.
Yeah, there's a website for the secretary of state, but nothing about fall elections.
Never heard of the league of women voters. Shall investigate that.

[Trek420]

www.lwv.org

http://emilyslist.org (tends to be progressive candidates)

Also something I know that we all can support is if you check the League of American Bicyclists site there often may be a local candidate endorsed there who supports our cycling community.

Bike the vote :D

[Koronin]

Trek420, Thank you for the links.
In trying to figure this out, I have discovered that I may very well have nothing at all to vote on in Nov. Once I get my voter card in the mail I'll know for sure. The city of Jacksonville has 3 total races, and only one race has more than on candidate. However, I live in the county, not the city, so I'm pretty sure that I can't vote for any of those races. There are no issues I can find anywhere at all that will be voted on here and actually on the election boards site for this county it lists a ton of districts that have nothing at all to vote on in Nov. No races or issues and I'm pretty sure I'm in one of those districts due to where we purchased our home. (As I stated, will know for sure when my card shows up in the mail).

[skhill]

Its amazing people will vote for American Idol by the millions but can't be bothered to vote in presidential elections even when they send you a ballot.

They sure don't send you a ballot here! It's possible to get an absentee ballot or vote early, but it's not easy. And my precinct now votes in a church outside the boundaries of the precinct, making things difficult for the many folks who don't have cars. No bike rack there either. No wonder our turnout is so low these days...

[uk elephant]

Living abroad, I don't get to vote in local elections, but I do intend to vote in the next national elections both in US and Norway. Just need to find out how....

[tulip]

Living abroad, I don't get to vote in local elections, but I do intend to vote in the next national elections both in US and Norway. Just need to find out how....

Go to the consulates and find out. I live in the US but can vote in the national elections of France. I have to go to the nearest consulat, which is not that near. Reminds me, I have to look into that for the upcoming national elections.

[Koronin]

They sure don't send you a ballot here! It's possible to get an absentee ballot or vote early, but it's not easy. And my precinct now votes in a church outside the boundaries of the precinct, making things difficult for the many folks who don't have cars. No bike rack there either. No wonder our turnout is so low these days...

Same here, they don't mail us ballots either.
An absentee ballot is a real and total pain to do as well. I did do that one year since I had no idea if I was going to be home or not.
Now early voting is actually more convenient, or at least was where I used to live. I'll have to find out about how it's done here.
Where you vote is out side your precinct? Wow, that's just crazy.