GOTV Letter to Editor

Register to vote! Do it now! Register to vote!

Dear Sir:

September  25, National Voter Registration Day is a day that receives little recognition and almost no publicity. It is a date, however, that urgently needs citizen involvement and record breaking voter registrations.

As the November 6 Election Day approaches, polls show that most Americans feel pessimistic about our country’s future and bone weary of political gridlock. So, it’s easy to think, “My vote doesn’t count; I might as well just stay home.” State and local elections are ones where voter turnout is pitifully small. So if past experience is any predictor, far too many of us once again will fail to GET OUT AND VOTE!

Unless, that is, we choose to act: first, to help others become eligible to vote and, then, to use the power we each have to exercise the right to vote. With what’s now at stake in terms of jobs and wages, education, health care, and foreign policy, we cannot afford an election with lackluster turnout. We have the power to effect change. We just have to use it. Single votes adding up to overwhelming numbers can make a powerful difference.

Getting those numbers begins with the very small steps that can have great impact: if you aren’t registered, get going: find a Voter Registration event on September 25. AAUW is holding one at_________________.   If you know a 17 or 18 year old , ask if she’s registered. If you work with a person who is new to the state and not registered, help him locate a Voter Registration site. The deadline for Voter Registration for the November 6, 2018 election is October 9th. If you have a few hours to give, volunteer to work at a Voter Registration table. Make plans to help get people to the polls; make calls; offer rides; whatever it takes!

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