Time for a Beer! I Voted!

I had a very easy time voting today. I printed out a copy of the League of Women Voters' Voting Guide with my choices pre-selected before I went to the polls. I made my selections in the federal, state, and local races, including many judges.

My voting philosophy is simple.

1. I vote for a person, not a party.

2. I vote for a person or issue, not against.

3. I only vote if I know something about the candidate.

This led to my decision to not vote for either candidate for State Board of Education. Neither of them were worth my vote.

My studio is a few blocks from my polling place, so I walked there at 11:15 am. I arrived at 11:30 am. There was no line. I was prepared to wait because I brought water, some candy, and a book. Since I had preselected all of my votes, I made almost fifty selections in less than ten minutes, using the electronic voting machines.

Quick. Easy. Patriotic. I voted.

How about you?

Democracy Succeeds When You Vote!

One of the most exciting things about the 2008 national elections is that whichever of the two major party candidate teams wins, either a woman or an African American will be Vice-President or President!

Once we get into the specifics of politics and policies, then gender and race disappear and I choose the team that best represents my interests and what I think is best for the country.

Election Day is November 4. If you haven't voted early, you may still have the option of avoiding lines on Election Day. Check with your city or county election board to find out when and where early voting is available.

In the Houston area, the League of Women Voters has two non-partisan election guides to help residents of Harris and Fort Bend counties know who and what is on the ballot. Unlike many partisan or issue-driven propaganda materials that call themselves "voting guides," the LWV election guides encourages everyone to "Vote Your Choice!"

If you need non-partisan information and some actual facts in lieu of the nasty partisan spin, half-truths, and lies, go to FactCheck.org. From their website,

"The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels.

The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation."

You are welcome to use the image above, or it's full-size version (available by right-clicking on the image), on your website to support people's right and responsibility to vote. Please do not alter the graphic in any way or remove the copyright notice. Attribute the image to "Totem Media, L.C.."

Be Seen and Heard: VOTE!