What a great privilege we have to be able to vote and use our freedom to choose who we want in office. Whether you're democrat, republican, tea party, green party, libertarian, independent or whatever... you have a voice and a vote and you can and should use them. Don't vote blindly. Don't take what politicians say at face value. Dig into the issues. Dig up the information. Put in the effort for the sake of your future, for the sake of our country, for the sake of your children and grandchildren who will have to live here after we're all gone. It's worth it. There are plenty of resources out there all over the internet to find out what is on your ballot, who is running for office, etc. Here are just a couple that I know of off the top of my head:
- Project Vote Smart
- Google the phrase "Preview my ballot" and add your county and state
- Voting Information Project
- Or Google your county along with a phrase like "Candidate information for 2014 election"
If you're in Georgia's Catoosa or Walker County like I am, there is a very helpful community website (FortOGeorgia.com) that posts local candidate interviews and information for every election. I'm sure there are similar resources in other communities as well.
So don't disgrace your ancestors who fought to defend our freedom and make our country a democracy! Get informed, find out where you need to go for your polls, and go vote!