You can  make a difference!
From, The Kentucky Citizen Digest, January/February, 2001.

Throughout the history of the United States, voting trends have shown a gradual decline in the number of people who faithfully attend the polls each election.  Many justify their absence at the voter’s box by espousing a view that their vote is inconsequential or that the system is too corrupt to influence for the better.  The truth of the situation is that though many realize that one ballot can do little to affect the actual electoral result, few understand the true importance of participation in the system of democracy.

While most Americans have just celebrated the birth of our democracy in July, seldom do citizens take the holiday as more than an excuse for a day away from the daily grind.  What most people do not take into consideration is that the existence of a democracy rests solely on the participation of its citizens in the system.  A representative of the people cannot be elected if individuals do not cast ballots to elect him or her.

In fact, when such a small group of voters exists, such as the 29 percent of Kentuckians who participated in last November’s election, victorious officials can barely be viewed arepresentative.   This in turn affects their ability to address the needs of the whole and legislation gradually begins to target a specific group of people.

Civic groups hold a unique role in the democratic system.  This year, as in the past, volunteer organizations

On the national level, not only will votes determine the next president, that president will in turn alter the composition of the U.S. Supreme Court.  He will likely have the opportunity to appoint at least two Supreme Court Justices, as both William Rehnquist and John Paul Stevens are in their mid-to-late seventies.  New appointments to the court mean new conclusions to issues like abortion and freedom of speech.

With voter registration made as easy as picking up cards from the County Clerk and filling them out at a organizational meeting, little excuse remains not to affect change.  So help sign up your friends to vote by the Oct. 9 deadline.
 

Key Family Foundation Contacts: Kent Ostrander, Executive Director Martin Cothran, Senior Associate Policy Analyst