MAKE A DIFFERENCE - Register to Vote!
By Sharon Flippen-Edwards, VP Legislation

Have you registered so you can vote in the next election?   If you have not you will be ineligible to vote.  And, your vote does make a difference!

History reflects a couple of votes have won more than one election or defeated an important piece of legislation.  If politicians did not listen to people who vote, they would be out of a job.  The people we elect to office at all levels of government affect our daily lives at home and the workplace.

How Do I Register to Vote?

Each state requires you fill out a voter registration form [with the exception of North Dakota].  In most states you can register in person or by mail.

1. A form can be requested from your Secretary of State or County Election Commission Office.    See the "State Election Contact List" included in this newsletter for names and phone numbers.  This is put out by the National Assn. Of Secretaries of States.  Their internet address is: www.nass.org/electioninfo/state_contacts.htm



2. A quicker process may be to access the internet and download the voter registration form for your state.  Go to  www.justvote.org and click on your state’s flag for the form and rules concerning filling it out.  Some states allow you to fill the form out on-line.  Once you have done so, print and mail it.



3. A non-partisan group such as the League of Women Voters can be invited into your facility/business to conduct a voter registration drive.  This is legal and an easy way for eligible employees and residents to get registered to vote.

Am I Eligible to Register and Vote?

Eligibility requirements vary from state to state, but generally require a person to:

• be a U.S. citizen;
• be a resident of the county;
• be 18 years old
• not be a convicted felon
• not be declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law

The deadline to register to vote, depending on which state, is 20 to 30 days before the election.  You should check with your state for details or log-on to one of the internet sites provided already in this newsletter.
 
The voter registration deadline for the next round of elections falls in October, 2006, with the exception of Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Tennessee, and Wyoming-- all of which are in November.

What do you do next?   Get registered to vote now!

Ways Voting Directly Affects You:

1. It is your money. The county commissioners, governor, state treasurer, legislators, president and members of Congress you vote for will decide how much of our money/taxes to invest in public services..  Changing a couple of votes in the U. S. Congress--or in the State Legislature--can change what happens to billions of dollars.

2. It is your job. Congress, the president, the governor and your legislators influence what job training is available, minimum wage, pay equity, fairness in hiring, health insurance through your employer, job and pension security, and workplace safety.

3. It is your Social Security. The president and your members of Congress decide how much payroll tax you pay, cost of living increases and benefit schedules for your Social Security pension, and what Medicare services you receive and share payment for.

4.  It is your and your family’s Medicaid Services. The members of your state legislature will decide how much Medicaid money will be used to fund long-term care services such as nursing home and home health care.  They are the people who will decide how much will be paid for most Medicaid services in your state.

5. It is your children's education. You elect local and state school board members who set public education policy and budgets that will affect how well prepared your children and grandchildren will be for the future.

6.  It's your health care. Action by the governor, legislature and Congress affects and determines your access to health care. Approx-imately
46 million Americans are uninsured in this country.  Are you one of them?
 

It's your democracy.   Make it work.  Many lives have been given for the right to vote.  Register and Vote!