Top Ten Reasons to Get Out and Vote

1. To speak your mind: Your vote is your voice. It tells elected officials how you feel about education, crime, social security and other important issues.
    
2. To make them listen: Your vote is your loudspeaker, too. When we turn out to vote, you can bet that the politicians know it – and you can be sure, when we all crank up that loudspeaker, they’ll pay attention to what we have to say.
    
3. For our children: Our children can’t vote – so we have to do it for them. That’s how we make our views known about schools, safety, housing and other issues that will affect our children’s future.
    
4. For our community: Do you ever wonder why one neighborhood gets passed over for the things it needs while other neighborhoods seem to get it all? One big reason is voting. When we vote, we get results we can see right where we live.
    
5. For yourself: Let’s face it – it’s no fun to sit on the sidelines and complain. To win the game, you have to be in it. Voting puts you in the game that counts most of all – democracy.
    
6. To honor our history: As long as this country has existed, there have been people who didn’t want us to vote. Our parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles were beaten, humiliated and killed for standing up for the right to vote. Well, guess what? Today there are still people who don’t want us to vote. And it’s our turn to stand up and vote to preserve and honor those who went before us.
    
7. To control our future: Elected officials make decisions that affect our daily lives. From affirmative action, to racial profiling to jobs and social security, the individuals we vote for will make decisions about our quality of life. Federal judges are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate and have life tenure on the courts. Therefore when we vote, we are also voting for what kinds of judges and justices will be appointed to the courts.
    
8. To stop something: Voting lets you stop complaining about things in your community. It puts you in the driver’s seat instead of the back of the bus.
    
9. To start something: Voting gets to be habit-forming, and it’s contagious, too. Once you get out and vote, it’ll feel so good that you’ll want to do it again and again. Pretty soon your kids and neighbors will want some of what you’ve got, and from there on, the rest will be history.
    
10. To win: In every election year, some races are decided by just a handful of votes. Those who vote demand respect. When we vote, we win

This list was originally Published by: African American Ministers Leadership Council:
A Project of People For the American Way Foundation This voter education material is non-partisan and is in no way intended to reflect an endorsement for, or opposition to, any candidate, political party or PAC.