November 6 is quickly approaching and you know what that means! No, it doesn’t mean you only have a few weeks to bust out your turkey basters and best pumpkin recipes, although that in and of itself is a very important matter (I’ll talk turkey on my next post). No for now, I’m climbing on my soapbox to urge all of you to get out and vote this year.

The young people did it their way with ROCK THE VOTE, now this car dealer is bound and determined to DRIVE THE VOTE this November 6.

Although you may have heard me ranting and raving about negative campaign ads last month, that won’t keep me from voting! I admit, political ads have taken on a life of their own and can get pretty annoying but the issues behind the ads are far too important to ignore.

It’s too bad more Americans don’t actually vote in elections. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, turnout by all races and ages was about 64% during the 2008 elections.

64% of the population shouldn’t be making decisions for 100% of the people. You may think it doesn’t matter if you don’t vote. Ask yourself, if you don’t vote then who is voting? Think about the fact that even if you aren’t voting, someone is and that someone is making decisions for you. There is a LOT riding on this election. Your vote does count and does matter. Don’t give it up.

There was some good news and bad news with regard to voting last election. First the good news: about five million more Americans voted in the 2008 elections than in the elections four years prior to that. Voter turnout was highest in Minnesota and the District of Columbia at about 75%. Now some bad news: voter turnout was lowest in Hawaii and Utah, where just over half of voters went to the polls. At 64% of the people voting, there is one thing that is certain. We can do better.

So if you know someone who needs help voting, why not help them make it happen? For yourself, make sure you are registered and know where to vote. More important, go the polls armed with information. Responsible government only comes as a result of responsible voting. You may be tempted to go to the polls only knowing half the story. Take time to educate yourself before election day. You’ll be glad you did when you are staring at the ballot November 6.

Here are a few online resources to help you:

http://www.canivote.org/
Need help with voting–nonpartisan web site created by state election officials to help eligible voters figure out how and where to go and vote.

http://votesmart.org/
Find out who’s running for office before you go to the voting booth at Project Vote Smart Web Site—nonpartisan. Get more information about the candidates where you live.

http://www.ontheissues.org/
On The Issues: Every Political Leader On Every Issue—Find out about the issues that are important to you and your family.

Get your engines running and DRIVE THE VOTE November 6. See you at the polls!