Get out the vote.....

My son Adam, daughter Caitlin, and I were watching John Kerry on "The Daily Show" last night, and got into a discussion about the already ugly campaign, and how important it is. Adam is 19, so this will be his first Presidential election and he's excited. Adam's probably voting for Kerry, and one of his roommates is active in the Young Republicans in Ann Arbor. Should make for some good debates! Caitlin is 16 and will have to wait a bit.

All of which reminds me to urge you to urge your staff, your board, your volunteers, and all their families to not only register to vote, but also to cast their votes on November 2nd. Remember, it's not just about Kerry/Bush....There are thousands of state and local elections going on as well.

There are, of course, a ton of places you can go online to register. Take a look at these sites, and consider sending out an email to your various constituencies urging everyone to register and vote. Remember that, as a not-for-profit, there are strict limits on your support of particular candidates, even in passing. But encouraging people to register and vote is completely appropriate.

Federal Registration Site

Your Vote Matters (from Working Assets)

JustVote.org

DeclareYourself.com

You should also consider putting some voter registration links on your website. The links above are national and you can use them, or you can use your state Secretary of State's site.

Elections matter. I have always strongly felt that being informed and voting is one of the obligations of citizenship. Get registered, and get out and vote.