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________________________________ Subject: Monday, July 10 is the DEADLINE for registering to vote in the August 8th Primary VOTING: A RIGHT AND AN ADVOCATES DUTY ARE YOU READY? Theres a saying around Lansing that your best lobbying is done on Election Day. This will especially be true this year as Michigan voters choose who will fill the following positions: Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General, all 15 of Michigans seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, one U.S. Senate Seat, 110 state Representatives, 38 state Senators, as well as other offices including county commissioners, State Supreme Court justices, and educational boards. As you may already know, in order to vote you must be 18 years old by August 8, 2006, a U.S. citizen, and a resident of Michigan and the city or township where you plan to vote. Residents can register to vote at their county, city or township clerks office, at any Secretary of State branch office, or by completing a mail-in voter registration form. Mail-in forms may be obtained from county and local clerks. Forms are also available on the Secretary of State Web site at www.Michigan.gov/sos. What you may not know is just how important your vote is in both the primary and general elections. Because of the partisan composition of our state, some estimate that 90% of the eventual winners in the general election will be decided on Primary Election day, August 8. Because so few voters show up (or use absentee ballots) for primary elections, your vote has extra impact. With so much at stake in economic development, land use, local control over agricultural practices, and other critical issues facing our state, voting is more important than ever. Are you ready? Use the following checklist, take action if needed, and make sure your voice is heard and your vote counted: I am registered to vote. Last day to register to vote in August Primary Elections: Monday, July 10, 2006 Last day to register to vote in the November General Elections: Tuesday, October 10, 2006 I am ready to vote. Primary Elections: Tuesday, August 8, 2006 General Elections: Tuesday, November 7, 2006 Dont let anyone tell you that your vote doesnt count. It does, especially this year. Are you ready? Two great websites for voters: http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633_11619_38093-123989--,00.ht ml <http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633_11619_38093-123989--,00.h tml> http://www.publius.org/ <http://www.publius.org/> Food for thought: When the polls open on Election Day, every citizen over the age of 18 will be able to cast a vote. It is a right we take for granted, one that defines our nation as a democracy. But universal suffrage letting everyone vote did not appear overnight with the ratification of our Constitution. Two hundred years ago, you had to be white, male, and wealthy in order to vote. Many people dedicated their lives to changing that fact. Without them, suffrage might still be the privilege of a chosen few.(Todd Olson, Scholastic Update, 2006) If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html