1

Produced by the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

August 2008

2

I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.

- Bob Dylan

3

WHO can register to vote?

• U.S. citizen• 18 years old by the date of the next election• Resident of Tennessee

– A place where you live to which you definitely intend to return – You can only have one residence– Homeless persons can register to vote but must provide

information regarding location of habitation

• Must not have been convicted of a felony– Under certain circumstances you can regain your right– Visit the State Election Commission’s website at

http://www.tennessee.gov/sos/election/webcrime.htm

4

WHAT if I am not a resident of Tennessee?

• Register in your home state

• Vote by absentee ballot

• Contact your home county’s election commission

5

WHAT if I register in Tennessee but am not living there when election

day comes?

• Vote by absentee ballot

• Contact your home county’s election commission

6

WHAT am I voting for?

• Depends on Election

• U.S. President/Vice President

• U.S. Congress

• State Legislature

• Local Issues

7

WHAT does a ballot look like?

Each ballot is different, depending on what you’re voting for, but this is a sample ballot from the 2004 presidential election

8

HOW do I register to vote?

• In person:– County Election Commission– TN Department of Safety (Motor

Vehicle Division)– TN Department of Health (WIC

program)– TN Department of Human Services– TN Department of Mental Health– TN Department of Veterans’ Affairs– Public Libraries– County Clerk’s Office– Register of Deeds’ Office

• By mail:– County Election Commission

Office– Post Office

File a voter registration form with your local county election commission

9

WHO should I contact with questions about registering in my

county?

• Contact your county’s election commission

• To find your county’s election commission, visit the State Election Commission at http://tnsos.org/elections/election_commissions.php

10

WHEN do I have to register?

• In order to participate in an election, a qualified voter must be properly registered no later than thirty (30) days before the election.– Deadline for November 4, 2008 election: October 6, 2008

• The election commission office will process any by-mail voter registration form that has been postmarked at least thirty (30) days before the election– In other words, get it in the mail by October 6, 2008.

11

WHEN do I vote?

• Primary elections: February 5, 2008• General elections: November 4, 2008• Absentee ballots: Must be delivered by postal

mail and received no later than the close of polls on election day

• Early voting: October 15 – October 30, 2008

12

WHY should I vote?• Because it’s your future• Because it’s your right

– 1870: The 15th Amendment to U.S. Constitution allowed racial and ethnic minorities to vote

– 1920: The 19th Amendment to U.S. Constitution allowed women to vote

• Because it only takes a few minutes– Go on election day – Go early for early voting (check with your election

commission for early voting dates and centers)• Because your vote can have a tremendous impact

13

The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour

Japanese Proverb

14

WHAT am I voting for?• Issues in the 2008 election

– Economy/Taxes– Education– Environment– Health Care– Immigration– Jobs– War/Terrorism

• What issues are important to YOU?

15

WHY is my vote important?

George W. Bush v. Albert C. GoreElection 2000

Closest vote in modern history

16

Close votes

In New Mexico, Gore won by just 366 votes

Bush

Gore

Other Candidates

17

More close votes

In Florida, Bush won by just 537 votes

Gore (48.84%)

Bush (48.85%)

Nader Other

It took WEEKS to count such a close vote

18

Election 2000 Timeline• November 7, 2000 – Election Night

– 7:50 p.m. News stations declare GORE the winner in Florida– 2:30 a.m. News stations declare BUSH the winner in Florida– 4:30 a.m. News stations declare presidential race TOO CLOSE

TO CALL

• November 8 – December 12, 2000– Hundreds of thousands of votes are recounted by hand. Both

sides file lawsuits. No one knows who our next president will be!

• December 12, 2000 – U.S. Supreme Court decides– George Bush becomes the 43rd President of the United States

19

The Lesson?

EVERY VOTE COUNTS!!!

20

The margin is narrow, but the responsibility is clear.

-John F. Kennedy

21

WHO am I voting for?

• Barack Hussein Obama (Democratic)• Cynthia Ann McKinney (Green Party, Peace and

Freedom) • Ralph Nader (Independent, Natural Law Party)• Robert Laurence 'Bob' Barr (Libertarian) • John Sidney McCain (Republican)• Charles O. 'Chuck' Baldwin (U.S. Taxpayers/Constitution

Party)

2008 U.S. Presidential Candidates**

** in alphabetical order, announced candidates as of 8/12/08

22

Become Informed!

• The Democratic Partyhttp://www.democrats.org

• Green Party of the United Stateshttp://www.gp.org

• Independent American Partyhttp://www.usaip.org

• The Libertarian Partyhttp://www.lp.org

• The Republican Partyhttp://www.rnc.org

• U.S. Taxpayers/Constitution Party http://www.constitutionparty.com

Find links to additional party organizations at: http://www.tba.org/YLD/voter_awareness.html

Visit Party Websites:

23

Become Informed!

• Project Vote Smart http://www.votesmart.org

• SelectSmart.comhttp://selectsmart.com/president/2008/comparethem.html

•

• 2decide.com http://www.2decide.com/table.htm

• The Washington Posthttp://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/

Visit Independent Websites and Compare Candidates:

Local newspapers and television stations have information on candidates in national, state, and local elections

Become Informed!

Want to learn more?

Check out the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division’s voter awareness webpage at http://www.tba.org/YLD/voter_awareness.html for information about:

• Presidential debate dates• Electoral College information

24

25

So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Do Your Part!