Even if you voted early you can still Vote Often! In fact, you can vote five, ten, even twenty or more times -- and it's all perfectly legal!
I'll never forget Election Night, 2006. Remember when we took back the House and Senate on that one glorious day? I -- and thousands like me around the country -- did our small parts by effectively voting over and over again for Democratic candidates. This helped not only Senator Claire McCaskill earn her squeaker of a victory here in Missouri, but it aided dozens of other local progressive candidates who now serve in our state, county, and local governments, too.
Now, our task is to complete the hat trick and win back the White House. Along the way, it wouldn't hurt to earn 60 or more Senate seats for a filibuster-proof majority, as well.
Check it out! You won't be a criminal, you'll be a hero!
All you need is a set of wheels, part of your day on November 4, and the willingness to meet some of the real heroes who truly believe in putting their "country first" but need a little help to get there to exercise their rights to vote. Yes, what I'm talking about is driving people to the polls on Election Day. It's dirt simple, and you will meet some truly wonderful people; people you may never forget for the rest of your life.
Meet Lester. He is probably in his mid-80's, a World War Two veteran and a child of turn of the 20th century German immigrants. He's desperately poor and lives alone, save for his one and only companion, a tinly little curly white haired dog named Lois who loves him as much as he loves her. He lives in a very ramshackle little apartment in what passes for the "projects" in this otherwise thriving midwestern college town. It's the part of town no college kids ever see; it's the part of town most lifelong residents have never even driven through. Lester's confined to a wheelchair and doesn't -- can't, actually -- get out and about on his own. I don't know how the hell he pulled his 300+ pounds into the van, but he did it, with only a little help from me. After voting, on the way home, he remarked how it was his first time out of his place in almost a year. A year!! When we finally got him back in his chair and wheeled into his tiny, dark living room I asked if there was anything else I could do or get for him before I left. He said, "Just give me one more of your big smiles." I did. And then hugged him, and we both had a tear in our eyes. As I turned to leave I noticed something shiny in a little open velour box on his TV set. I stole a closer look. It was his bronze star from the war. This man was a war hero.
Today, Lester became a hero once again.
It's simple, it's easy, and it's fun. Here's how it works:
Call your local or county Democratic headquarters. Chances are, they already have a Volunteer Driver progam in effect. If so, they'll already have a list of people who want to vote but who need some help getting to their polling places. If not, tell them you want to do it anyway and ask if you can come in and start calling register voters -- they will have a list you can use -- to see if they need a ride. You'd be amazed how many people can't vote simply because they don't have a good way to get there to do it.
Meet Penny. She has MS and had a stroke a few years ago. Her speech is slurred, her memory sometimes fails her, and it's hard for her to walk, though she does so even as her doctor tells her she should be in a wheelchair fulltime. She is so proud of her new house, built just last year as a joint project of Habitat for Humanity and the local Lions Club. We arrived ten minutes early to pick her up and she was already sitting on her porch waiting for us. You could see her eyes shining as we drove up the driveway, some forty or fifty feet away. She needed some help walking into and out of her polling place and her arm shook as I helped her down the curb to the car. My 9 year old daughter asked if she was okay. Penny looked down at her with those shining eyes and said, "Honey, you and your daddy are helping me take our country back."
Penny is heroine today.
I'm lucky. I'm able to set aside all day on November 4th to drive people to their polling places. But even if you can spare only an hour or so, that's enough time to help at least one more person vote. This simple act will amplify your own vote many, many times. Think about it... one hour and you just DOUBLED the number of votes that most citizens get to have! And believe me, there's nothing more rewarding than coming home Election Eve and watching the returns after you've "voted" a couple dozen times.