Our Civic Duty to Vote and Help Get Out The Vote

A crucial election day is only months away. At stake are vital political, economic and moral issues of concern to Texans and all Americans.

During the next four years important decisions will be made about the direction and responsibilities of our government. Legislation on significant issues such as the economy, health care, energy, and the environment are just a few of the critical issue that are likely to be considered by the next Congress and Administration. Other top issues will likely include education, national security, foreign policy, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In addition, possibly up to three Supreme Court Justices, who will make crucial decisions affecting our lives, will be appointed to the bench during the terms of the next President and Senate. With the stakes so high, we all must work hard to extend the trend toward increasing Democratic voter turnout in Collin County during the early voting period of 10/20-10/31 and on election day November 4th.

As citizens of Texas and America we have an obligation to not just cast our ballot on election day, but to also fully participate in the election process. We must ensure that our country's policies at the local, state and national levels protect the genuine security needs of American families as well as ensure America's continued tradition of justice and equal protection under the rule of law for every American.

Every vote will count this fall toward setting our government's agenda for the benefit of ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. It is our civic duty to promptly register to vote, educate ourselves about the critical issues and each candidate's position on the issues and then vote! More than that - it is our civic responsibility to help inform our fellow citizens on the issues and candidates and to urge our fellow citizens to also go vote!

From now until election day November 4th your Democratic friends and neighbors will be in your neighborhood to Get Out The Vote. This activity is commonly referred to as GOTV. It is through this GOTV effort that your Democratic friends and neighbors are volunteering their time to register new voters and to educate their fellow citizens on the issues and candidates. During Early Voting and again on Election Day these civic volunteers will also help the elderly, handicapped or anyone without transportation travel to their respective polling place to cast their ballot.

As described on the GOTV page of the Texas Democratic Women of Collin County's website, there are three types GOTV activities that volunteers can help accomplish between now and election day:

Voter Registration

Voter registration volunteers meet at a location such as a grocery store or community event and register people to vote. It is helpful if you are a Deputy Voter Registrar, but not mandatory. To find out more information about the quick and easy process of becoming a Deputy Voter Registrar in Collin County, please call the Collin County Elections Department at 972-547-1990.

Block Walking

Volunteers meet at a designated location. After a brief training, volunteers are sent out in groups of two or more to block walk (knock on pre-designated doors) in a neighborhood. Depending on where we are in the election cycle, block walkers speak to residents about our party/candidates, hand out literature, provide yard signs, remind people to vote, and/or ask voter ID questions. You do not need to be a veteran block walker to volunteer, just a passionate Democrat. We will provide you with the scripts, literature, information and training you need.

Phone Banking

Volunteers meet at a designated location to call voters. Depending on where we are in the election cycle, callers will remind people to vote and/or ask voter ID questions. Callers will not be asking for money. You do not need to be a veteran phone banker to volunteer, just a passionate Democrat. We will provide you with the scripts and training you need.

Many Democratic groups and organizations are already ramping up each of these GOTV activities today. Prominent among the Collin County neighborhood groups ramping up all of these GOTV activities are:

• Collin County for Obama campaign supporters,
• Tom Daley for U.S. House of Representatives - TX 3rd District campaign supporters,
• Glenn Melançon for U.S. House of Representatives - TX 4th District campaign supporters,
• Rick Noriega for U.S. Senate campaign supporters,
• The Democratic Party of Collin County,
• The Texas Democratic Women of Collin County,
• and more (look in the left hand sidebar of this blog page to find the box titled Democratic Groups and Information)

All of these campaign groups and political organizations need volunteers. We need to form a large army of Democratic volunteers in Collin County this year to help Get Out The Vote! Every Democrat in Collin County knows that in this election year we do not stand alone!!

We witnessed nearly 80,000 people cast a Democratic ballot in the March 4th primary election and more than 20,000 of our fellow Democrats returned for the Democratic Precinct Conventions all across Collin County after the polls closed on election day. Pick your favorite Democratic candidate or one of the political organizations and call to volunteer today -- I promise, you will not be standing alone this year!!

The Democratic Party of Collin County especially needs Election Clerks, Poll Greeters and Poll Watchers to work on Election Day, Nov 4th. If you can work all day or even just a few hours, please phone 972-578-1483 to volunteer!

But, remember, Democratic Senate and House candidates Rick Noriega, Tom Daley and Glenn Melançon need your support! Please contribute your much needed dollars as well as your volunteer time to these candidates. President Barack Obama will need all the help he can get in congress when he takes office January 20, 2009!! PLEASE, please help send Rick Noriega, Tom Daley and Glenn Melançon to Washington to help President Obama quickly turn our country onto the right road to a 21st century America!! (I have embeded videos of many of these Democratic Candidates around this blog, so please explore and watch all the videos.)

And, don't forget -- Other local Democratic Candidates will appear on Collin County Ballots for the 2008 General Election and they must have your support too!!! These local Democratic Candidates include:

• Mark Thompson - Texas Railroad Commissioner
• Jim Jordan - Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Texas
• Sam Houston - Justice, Supreme Court of Texas - Place (Seat) 7
• Linda Reyna Yanez - Justice, Supreme Court of Texas - Place (Seat) 8
• Susan Strawn - Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals - Place (Seat) 3
• J.R. Molina - Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals - Place (Seat) 4
• Don B. Chae - Justice, Texas 5th District Court of Appeals - Place (Seat) 3
• David Hanschen - Justice, Texas 5th District Court of Appeals - Place (Seat) 6
• Tina Yoo - Justice, Texas 5th District Court of Appeals - Place (Seat) 8
• Victor Manuel Collin County Commissioner Precinct 3
• Jean Power - Collin County Commissioner Precinct 4

Please go to their websites and contribute what money you can spare to help them get elected. Even a dollar or two will help, if that is all you can spare!

And, don't forget your friends and relatives who might be living abroad during this election season. You can help them Get Out The Vote too.