Chipper Tips: Top 10 Reasons to Vote

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Today is election day! Many of you are probably sick and tired, if not a bit over whelmed, by the bombardment of political news and ads. Others may be so excited and apart of the wave of enthusiasm! Either way, Chipper encourages you to get out and vote today!

Why, you may ask? Well, we should take advantage of our right to vote since many brave men and women lost their lives gaining and keeping this right. People in other places of the world continue to fight and bleed for the basic right to have some say in you and your children’s future.

Lead by example! Teach your child that their voice and opinions matter.  Show them that voting contributes to the greater good. They will become responsible citizens if you show them how. Still unconvinced? Here are some top 10 reasons to get involved and VOTE!

Top 10 Reasons to Register and Vote

10.  It’s your money. The county commissioners, governor, state officials, legislators, president and members of Congress you vote for will decide how much of our wealth to invest in public services and how to fairly share the tax burden.

9.  It’s your children’s education. You elect local and state school board members who set public education policy and budgets that will affect how well prepared your children and grandchildren will be for the future. Decisions by our legislators, governor, members of Congress and president also affect the public schools– and the quality and cost of higher education as well.

8.  It’s your job. Congress, the president, the governor and your legislators influence what job training is available, minimum wage, pay equity, fairness in hiring, health insurance through your employer, job and pension security, and workplace safety.

7.  It’s your health care. Actions by the governor, legislature and Congress as well as their decisions on Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance laws determine your access to health care.

6.  They’re your highways. Nevada’s population and traffic are growing rapidly. Your county commissioners, legislators, governor and members of Congress decide what highways are needed, what alternatives to highways such as public transit to support, and how to pay the bill.

5.  It’s your Social Security. The president and your members of Congress decide how much payroll tax you pay, cost of living increases and benefit schedules for your Social Security pension, and what Medicare services you receive and share payment for.

4.  You live in the United States. Your county, state and national elected officials set standards, enforcement strategies and budgets. They plan and zone where roads and industries will be built and how public lands will be used –decisions that can determine how and where you live and work.

3.  It’s your neighborhood. The elected officials and judges you vote to retain make daily decisions about crime prevention, laws and law enforcement, safe and affordable homes, traffic patterns, where to put schools, parks and recreation.

2.  They’re our children. We do our best to keep them healthy, fed, safe, educated and cared for. The officials you elect set policies that affect all Nevada families in pursuing their goals and dreams.

1.  It’s your Constitutional Republic. Make it work. Register and Vote.

Top 10 Reasons Why Young People Should Vote

10. You get a cool sticker afterward that says, “I Voted!”

9. Local elections like school board and city council races really do have an impact on your daily life.

8. If you don’t vote, you’re not allowed to celebrate the Fourth of July. Honest.

7. Young people have the most to gain and lose in any election because they have to live with the consequences longer than anyone else.

6. If you vote and an adult you know doesn’t, you can tease them about it forever.

5. With the Internet, it takes about a minute to get all the registration and voter information for your state and county.

4. At the polling location, you might get to finally meet that cute guy or girl you always see in your neighborhood. Plus, they’ll be instantly impressed by your devotion to civic duty.

3. Every political issue and policy affects you whether you know it or not. If you don’t vote, you’re putting control of your world into the hands of someone else…and you have no idea where those hands have been.

2. The feeling of power you get after voting is a great rush.

1.      Election Day is the one day each year when everyone in the U.S. is EQUAL. Your vote counts just as much as anyone else’s does!

Top 10 Lame Excuses Not To Vote

10. My dog ate my registration card.

9. Reruns of the Simpsons are on TV.

8. Martin Sheen of “West Wing” is not running. (Well, maybe that should be a good reason…)

7. I forgot to register to vote.

6. You went the last time and there was no free food.

5. I don’t know who is running.

4. I don’t have a ride.

3. I am too busy.

2.You feel guilty when the person you voted against loses.

1. My vote won’t make a difference.

10 Ways to Cast Your Vote if You’re Under 18
If you’re old enough to vote, by all means, vote! If you’re not, here’s a list of other things you can do to get involved in a campaign.10. Listen to a candidate speak.
They might end up representing you, so check them out.9. Ask questions.
If you want information from a candidate, ask for it. Contact their official campaign headquarters. Most have websites with contact information.8.  Surf the Web.
Go to the internet and surf.  Almost every candidate has a statement on the issues of their campaign.7.  Volunteer at your local polling center.
On the day of elections volunteers are needed to help people at the voting booths. Why not step in to lend a hand?

6.  Write a letter to the editor.
Voice your concerns about an issue or sing the praises of your favorite candidate to your school or local newspaper.

5.  Go behind the curtain.
If you’re old enough, vote — if not, go with your parents or a friend or teacher, just to see how it’s done and take some of the mystery out of the process.

4.  Run for office.
We don’t necessarily mean running for an actual government position, but you could try class president, art club secretary or school board student representative — the more you learn about elections, the better prepared you will be to vote.

3.  E-vote.
Groups like KidsVotingUSA have set up mock elections, so that even if you aren’t old enough to actually vote, you can participate and follow the races. Go to: www.kidsvotingusa.org.

2.  Register other folks.
Even if you’re not old enough to register to vote, you can still work in your high school or community to help others who are not yet registered.

1.  Become one with a leaflet.
By that we mean you can volunteer with a campaign. If you really like what a candidate stands for, offer to help him or her out. They may need help passing out leaflets or answering phones at their campaign headquarters.

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