Election 2014 is Priority #1

Don’t get it twisted!  Other than food, clothing and shelter, there is nothing more important to poor and middle class Americans of all races than voting on or before Tuesday, Nov. 4.

When people understand any of the following, they will be more likely to vote.

My Top 10 Reasons why you should vote in this and every election:

1) The taxes we pay every time we buy something is used to pay the salaries of our elected officials. Therefore, they work for us. Therefore, we should know what they are doing so we can hold them accountable.

2) The taxes we pay are also allocated by our elected officials to salaries of city, county, state and federal workers; paving roads, repairing sewers, supplimenting rapid transit, school budgets, beautifying neighborhoods, and more.

3)  When you and over half a million registered voters in Georgia who do not vote, decide to vote, it could change the political climate in Georgia for all poor, and middle-class residents for years to come.

4) Lots of local elections are won by less than 100 votes.That means if 20 more people per precinct were to vote we could control what happens in our neighborhoods, city hall, state capitol, and the White House.

5) Knowing who to vote for is as simple as googling “sample ballot” plus your state. It will reveal all the candidate and ballot initiative(s) information for you to review before you go to the polls. The info you need is in your hand (in your cell phone).

6) Do not stop at the top!  As quiet as it is kept, lots of voters vote for the top two or three races. Everything on the ballot is important. Vote the entire ballot!!

7) Since poor and middle class people clearly outnumber rich people, it is easy  to see that we have a clear majority if we all vote. It is also easy to understand why there are so many efforts in Georgia and across the nation to suppress voting by the poor and minorities. High voter turrnout means Democrats win.

8) People are literally dying to get into this country to enjoy what our Democracy offers. It is unlike any other. Yet many of us who were born into this wonderful Democracy do not understand the power of the vote. It controls everything…everything. Everything in our lives is tied to voting.  From the location of grocery stores, hospitals, schools and prisons to what laws get passed to how much you pay for college classes, state ID cards/drivers licenses, and car and home insurance rates.

9) There is nothing, n-o-t-h-i-n-g more important than voting!!  If people can spend the night in the cold, waiting in line to buy a new flatscreen TV,  concert tickets, or the latest cell phone; surely you can spend a few minutes researching the issues, or asking a friend or relative for help.

10) Politicians are hot all alike. Nor are all of them crooks.  What they have in common is that 20% of the people (in local and midterm elections) who vote for them control what happens to the other 80% who do not bother to vote. That makes no sense.

Now, if these Top Ten Reasons why voting is critically important does not inspire you to vote, you need to check your pulse.

Early Voting is a Great Option

Early voting has already started in most states. Despite efforts to limit it and voting by mail, Everyone should understand a couple weeks to vote without worrying about lines is a convenience that more people should take advantage of.

As a matter of fact, in 2012 I had to have emergency surgery a few days before that presidential election. While there was no way for me to predict that was going to happen, it is a good thing that I voted the week before I was rushed to the hospital with severe abdominal pain.  On Election Day, I was trying to sit up in my hospital bed and watch the election results. It was satisfying because I never miss an election.

Life is so unpredictable, voting early keeps us from stressing over all the things that can and do happen on Election Day that can keep us from voting. Over 25 years ago, the trains in Chicago were delayed keeping thousands from getting home in time to vote at their neighborhood precincts.

Let’s face it. Voter suppression is real. Be proactive. In most states you can vote early, vote by mail, on Saturday, and (in several states) on Sunday.

In conclusion, please remember to vote down the entire ballot. If you go to your state’s Secretary of State website, you can see the “sample ballot” before you vote. This will give you time to research the candidates and referendum(s) on your ballot. Referendums are poorly worded to confuse the average voter. So, please view them in advance and share the information with your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers via phone, email, and social media.

We can make a difference when we vote early, on Election Day and in large numbers in every state. A large voter turnout means Democrats win. It is exactly what President Obama needs for his last two years.

Informed voters are more powerful voters. Thanks in advance for exercising your right to vote. Voting is more powerful than most realize.

Happy voting on or before November 4th!