Voting for the General Election: By Mark R. Kerr

On Saturday (September 15), voting for the 2008 Presidential election started, ostensibly in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which began their early voting on Saturday, September 19 for the election scheduled to take place on November 4.

Thirty-six of the 50 states and the District of Columbia offer its citizens the chance to cast their ballots early for the election and more than one out of every three-registered voter will cast their ballot early this time, a record.

With that in mind and ballots being sent out or people going to their election’s office to mark their ballots, the campaigns have changed their strategy to get every potential vote.

That is the case for Arizona, which offers early voting for registered citizens for the primary and starting Thursday, October 2, for the upcoming general election.

Despite one of the nominees of a major political party for President being from the Grand Canyon State, there are many other races and ballot measures of note that make it important for all Arizonans to exercise their right and vote in this election.

For LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) and straight supportive Arizonans, it is Proposition 102, the second attempt in as many years to define marriage, demonize Gays and Lesbians, and ensure that the Republican base turns out at the polls.

To defeat this heinous measure, placed on the ballot by the Republican controlled Arizona Legislature, despite state law and court precedent, everyone must cast a ballot against Proposition 102, but to do so again as was done in 2006 - the first time in 28 ballot measures in the United States, all eligible Arizonans must be registered to do so.

If one is not registered to vote, they have until Monday, October 6, before midnight on that day, to fill out the voter registration form and have it into the Pima County Recorder’s office.

For those people’s convenience, registering to vote online is available and easy to do, by going to servicearizona.com/webapp/evoter/ and fill out the form, one can be registered to vote and get their voter card shortly thereafter.

F. Ann Rodriguez, the Pima County Recorder, the office in charge of the ballots and voter registration information, has a permanent early voting list for people wanting to cast their ballots early or at home by mail.

As was the election in 2006, so shall be in 2008 for Pima County in regard to Proposition 102. In 2006, Pima County voters rejected the marriage amendment on that year’s ballot (known as Proposition 107) by such a wide margin that it was key to defeating the ballot measure.

If people cast their ballots in the negative on this year’s marriage amendment, Proposition 102, in the same amount (percentage), the second such measure will go down to defeat for the second time in as many elections.

To request an early ballot or to get on the permanent vote by mail list, either call (520) 740-4330 or go online to recorder.pima.gov/earlyreq.aspx and fill out the online form.

During her speech, Judy Shepard said how sorry she was that there was another measure on the ballot in Arizona but everyone must talk to the friends, neighbors, family, coworkers and acquaintances about it, how the vote affects them to have the biggest impact, “by telling their story.”

Prior to that though, everyone in the LGBT, HIV/AIDS and straight supportive communities need to be registered to vote and then have cast their votes early to “tell their story,” because one vote can and will make a difference.