WHO: You
WHAT: Register to Vote
WHEN: Thursday, September 13, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and Wednesday, September 19, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
WHERE: Courter Center, DMACC Campus, Boone
WHY: Many decisions that affect you are made by elected officials – decisions regarding health care coverage, funding for education (including student loans), the environment, the economy, how to meet our energy needs in the future, our nation’s foreign policy, use of taxpayer dollars, etc. If you don’t vote, you have given up your opportunity to influence the direction on these and other issues.
By Linda Murken
League of Women Voters
As most of you probably know by now, a general election will be held on Nov. 6. The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can vote either the day of the election at a polling place in your neighborhood or you can vote absentee before election day.
Did you know that only 64 percent of voting-age citizens voted in the 2008 presidential election? In other words, one out of every three people eligible to vote didn’t.
Of the 146 million people who were registered to vote, over 15 million people (10 percent) did not vote. When asked why they did not vote, the most-frequent answers given were:
18 percent said they were too busy or had conflicting work or school schedules
15 percent said they were ill, disabled, or had a family emergency
13 percent said they were not interested or felt their vote would not make a difference
13 percent said they did not like the candidates or the campaign issues
Only 71 percent of voting-age citizens were even registered to vote.
WHAT: Register to Vote
WHEN: Thursday, September 13, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and Wednesday, September 19, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
WHERE: Courter Center, DMACC Campus, Boone
WHY: Many decisions that affect you are made by elected officials – decisions regarding health care coverage, funding for education (including student loans), the environment, the economy, how to meet our energy needs in the future, our nation’s foreign policy, use of taxpayer dollars, etc. If you don’t vote, you have given up your opportunity to influence the direction on these and other issues.
By Linda Murken
League of Women Voters
As most of you probably know by now, a general election will be held on Nov. 6. The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can vote either the day of the election at a polling place in your neighborhood or you can vote absentee before election day.
Did you know that only 64 percent of voting-age citizens voted in the 2008 presidential election? In other words, one out of every three people eligible to vote didn’t.
Of the 146 million people who were registered to vote, over 15 million people (10 percent) did not vote. When asked why they did not vote, the most-frequent answers given were:
18 percent said they were too busy or had conflicting work or school schedules
15 percent said they were ill, disabled, or had a family emergency
13 percent said they were not interested or felt their vote would not make a difference
13 percent said they did not like the candidates or the campaign issues
Only 71 percent of voting-age citizens were even registered to vote.