It’s Election Day and while millions of Americans head to the polls to elect our next president, sadly, millions more will stay at home. Common excuses range from work and school to lack of power after Hurricane Sandy and a feeling that one vote won’t make a difference.
A full 40% of us don’t bother to exercise the right, so many of our fellow citizens continue to sacrifice their lives to protect and defend. Today, President Obama urged everyone to vote, even if means voting for Gov. Romney.
New technology has advanced voting options for Americans in remarkable ways. President Obama voted early, something more Americans do with each election cycle. Some will use email while others will cast their vote via absentee ballot. Some states continue to use punch cards, while others will pull the curtain and make their choice on a touch screen.
With efforts to depress voter registration and turnout now facing legal challenges in a growing list of states, it is all the more important to ensure you take the time to get to your local polling station and exercise this most quintessential of all American freedoms. After all, as the old saying goes: if you don’t vote, you can’t complain.
Todd Goodman