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5 Ways Voters Can De-Stress Election Day - By Dale Collie




Copyright 2004

Don’t let the stress of election day cancel your vote. The elections on Nov. 2, 2004, give you a chance to help decide who will be the next president of the USA as well as many state and local officials.

Many people fail to vote because they are not prepared ahead of time, and the stress of getting information and making decisions at the last minute is too much to add to otherwise hectic schedules.

Here are five ways to de-stress election day:

1. GET ORGANIZED FOR ELECTION DAY

a. Find out where to vote - Make sure you’re going to the right place. Even if you’ve voted at the same place for years, it's a good idea to confirm the site by calling your county Board of Elections or the County Clerk. The information is also available at http://www.declareyourself.com If your schedule is tight, vote at mid morning or mid afternoon to avoid the lines.

b. Find out if you are registered - visit or call your County Clerk to confirm that you are registered to vote.

c. Find out who’s on the ballot - The Board of Elections can give you a sample ballot and the name and contact information of the party chair. You can call them to get additional information about who is on the ballet.

d. Find out how will you vote - Ask whether you’ll be voting by electronic or mechanical voting machine, punch cards, or mark the ballot. Ask for a sample ballot.

2. MAKE VOTING DECISIONS AHEAD OF TIME

a. Ask party headquarters for information on the candidates. Ask friends and associates for their opinion.

b. Read through candidates remarks so you can make informed decisions

c. Watch the news or research candidate web sites for information about candidates who appeal to you.

d. You can find out who’s who at http://www.vote-smart.org/

3. PLAN ELECTION DAY EVENTS

a. Make sure you know the route to your voting place. Arrange for transportation.

b. Schedule plenty of time so you are not frustrated by waiting in line

c. Introduce yourself to others in line instead of standing silently waiting for your turn -- you can’t try to persuade others how to vote in that line, but you can meet your neighbors.

d. If your schedule permits, make voting a festive occasion and meet others for breakfast or lunch afterward.

e. Arrange to help someone who can’t make it to the polls on their own.

4. FIND OUT WORKPLACE RULES

Make sure you understand workplace rules for voting. Will you be allowed to take time off work or take an extended lunch hour, or will you have to go before or after office hours (consider an absentee ballot)?

5. APPLY FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT

Find out rules for absentee voting in case you’ll be away from home or unable to vote in person for some other reason on election day. In place of the mail-in form, some states permit voting at the county courthouse before election day. You can get the typical absentee ballot by calling your Election Board or County Clerk for the application form. From the internet, you can download an application by entering your zip code at: http://electionimpact.votenet.com/declareyourself/absentee.cfm

Every citizen who is 18 years of age is entitled to vote unless they are imprisoned, paroled for a felony, or mentally incompetent as judged by a court of law. Some states require voters to be 18 at least 30 days prior to elections. You must vote in the state where you are a legal resident.

"Here’s the bottom line: If you don’t vote, someone else is deciding your future for you. It’s that simple. If you have an opinion about the cost of college tuition, jobs, the economy, or tons of other laws and issues that affect you, then you’re already involved. Now take advantage of your right to determine your future. What are you waiting for?" (From Declareyourself's Guide for First-time Voters -- get the 16 page pdf file and other voter tools at http://declareyourself.com/votertools/education_initiative.htm)

Get information on others stress busters at auto responder MailTo:toptenstressors@couragebuilders.com






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Dale Collie (www.couragebuilders.com) speaker and former US Army Ranger, CEO, and professor at West Point. Selected by "Fast Company" as one of America's Fast 50 innovative leaders. Author "Winning Under Fire: Turn Stress into Success the US Army Way," (McGraw Hill). F`r`e`e Courage Builders Newsletter by emailing MailTo:subscribe-956606571@ezinedirector.net

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