Do Your Part!

I'm a firm believe in our right...no, make that our DUTY...to vote. I registered to vote shortly after I turned 18 and have proudly voted since that day. Now, perhaps more than ever, it's direly important to make your voice heard by voting.

Next Tuesday, November 2, is election day in Oklahoma. We'll choose a new governor, lieutenant governor, insurance commissioner, state superintendent, legislators, and more. You may think that since these are state-level elections, your vote doesn't make a difference. You'd be wrong. Each and every single vote counts. If you vote, even if your chosen candidate isn't successful, you'll make your voice heard...you'll say your part...you'll be doing your duty.

I don't want to tell you for whom you should vote (okay, so I really DO want to, but it's your decision and that's part of the beauty of voting). But I do want voters to be educated and ready to make decisions based on facts. In this election, in some ways, it seems more confusing than ever. But careful research can help you find the facts.

During this election, Oklahomans will vote on 11 (yes ELEVEN) different state questions, running the gamut. There are several questions on which I've definitively decided my vote (744, for example), but there are still others about which I have questions. So, tonight, I set out to learn more about them. I found this website: https://www.sos.ok.gov/gov/proposed_questions.aspx. It describes each state question in detail, which should help voters be better prepared, come Tuesday.

I also learned this evening that voters can take a "cheat sheet" into the voting booth with them. This cheat sheet cannot be used in an attempt to sway other voters, but it can be used to help you remember your research and decide how you want to vote.

While I'm decided on many of the races for the main offices, I've still got some research to do -- and some decisions to make. But, by next Tuesday, I'll have made my decisions and be ready to make my voice heard. Please, do the same.