There is a celebrity-driven, get-out-the-vote advertisement now running on TV, the Web and DVD.
In it, folks like Halle Berry, Ellen DeGeneres and Dustin Hoffman urge viewers to stay home on Election Day.
"Don't vote," they implore. "It's not that important."
Of course, by the end the message is: "Don't vote unless you care about the environment and health care and the economy and (insert your favorite cause here)."
They have a point, sort of.
Voting is as much a duty as a right.
We subscribe to the "use it or lose it" theory of democracy. Those who don't exercise their right to vote may one day find themselves without the opportunity.
But with the duty and right to vote comes awesome responsibility. Each of us, upon entering the election booth, is making a decision about the lives of everyone else in our community, state or nation.
An uninformed voter, therefore, is shirking his or her responsibility to neighbors and fellow citizens.
There are precious days remaining to register to vote in the historic election of 2008. When city and town clerks' offices close next Thursday, Oct. 15 (most will be open until 8 p.m. that day), those who haven't registered won't be able to cast ballots on Nov. 4.
Those already registered need only show up at the polls.
In addition to electing a new president, Massachusetts voters will also decide the fate of the state's income tax. There are also contests for U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and, in a few communities, state representative as well.
Registering to vote is easy. You must be a citizen of the United States and provide registrars with your name and address.
Take the time to learn about the candidates and the issues. Watch a debate. Ask questions. Then go vote on Nov. 4.
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