Are you a Republican? A Democrat? An Independant? Regardless of your preference you should know the following information regarding this years Presidental election on November 6, 2012.

Well, if you think your "ONE" vote dosen't really count:

Historical Facts On The Power Of Just One Vote

• 1645-One vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England.
• 1776-One vote gave America the English language instead of German.
• 1868-One vote saved President Andrew Jackson from impeachment.
• 1875-One vote changed France from a monarchy to a republic.
• 1876-One vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the Presidency of the United States of America.
• 1923-One vote gave Adolf Hitler leadership of the Nazi Party.
• 1941-One vote saved the Selective Service - just weeks before Pearl Harbor was attacked.
• 1990-One vote decided a state House race in Oakland County, Michigan.

U.S. Voting Rights...HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD THE RIGHT?
When the Constitution was written, only white male property owners (about 10 to 16 percent of the nation's population) had the vote. Over the past two centuries, though, the term "government by the people" has become a reality. During the early 1800s, states gradually dropped property requirements for voting. Later, groups that had been excluded previously gained the right to vote. Other reforms made the process fairer and easier.

• 1790-Only white male adult property-owners have the right to vote.
• 1810-Last religious prerequisite for voting is eliminated.
• 1850-Property ownership and tax requirements eliminated by 1850. Almost all adult white males could vote.
• 1855-Connecticut adopts the nation's first literacy test for voting. Massachusetts follows suit in 1857. The tests were implemented to discriminate against Irish-Catholic immigrants.
• 1870-The 15th Amendment is passed. It gives former slaves the right to vote and protects the voting rights of adult male citizens of any race.
• 1890 Mississippi adopts a literacy test to keep African Americans from voting. Numerous other states—not just in the south—also establish literacy tests. However, the tests also exclude many whites from voting. To get around this, states add grandfather clauses that allow those who could vote before 1870, or their descendants, to vote regardless of literacy or tax qualifications.
• 1913 The 17th Amendment calls for members of the U.S. Senate to be elected directly by the people instead of State Legislatures.
• 1915 Oklahoma was the last state to append a grandfather clause to its literacy requirement (1910). In Guinn v. United States the Supreme Court rules that the clause is in conflict with the 15th Amendment, thereby outlawing literacy tests for federal elections.
• 1920 The 19th Amendment guarantees women's suffrage.
• 1924 Indian Citizenship Act grants all Native Americans the rights of citizenship, including the right to vote in federal elections.
• 1944 The Supreme Court outlaws "white primaries" in Smith v. Allwright (Texas). In Texas, and other states, primaries were conducted by private associations, which, by definion, could exclude whomever they chose. The Court declares the nomination process to be a public process bound by the terms of 15th Amendment.
• 1957-The first law to implement the 15th amendment, the Civil Rights Act, is passed. The Act set up the Civil Rights Commission—among its duties is to investigate voter discrimination.
• 1961-The 23rd Amendment allows voters of the District of Columbia to participate in presidential elections.
• 1965-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., mounts a voter registration drive in Selma, Alabama, to draw national attention to African-American voting rights.
• 1965-The Voting Rights Act protects the rights of minority voters and eliminates voting barriers such as the literacy test. The Act is expanded and renewed in 1970, 1975, and 1982.
• 1966 The Supreme Court, in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, eliminates the poll tax as a qualification for voting in any election. A poll tax was still in use in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia.
• 1970-Literacy requirements are banned for five years by the 1970 renewal of the Voting Rights Act. At the time, eighteen states still have a literacy requirement in place. In Oregon v. Mitchell, the Court upholds the ban on literacy tests, which is made permanent in 1975. Judge Hugo Black, writing the court's opinion, cited the "long history of the discriminatory use of literacy tests to disenfranchise voters on account of their race" as the reason for their decision.
• 1971-The 26th amendment sets the minimum voting age at 18.
• 1995 The Federal "Motor Voter Law" takes effect, making it easier to register to vote.
• 2003 Federal Voting Standards and Procedures Act requires states to streamline registration, voting, and other election procedures.

Read more: U.S. Voting Rights http://www.infoplease.com/timelines/voting.html#ixzz27PEA1XVg

In order to vote (and you better) you must be a registered voter. October 9, 2012 is the last day to register for November 6, 2012 election

You Must Be...       

• A US citizen
• A Michigan citizen
• A citizen of the town where you're registering
• At least 18 years old

Fill Out Application       

• Obtain an application at one of many locations, and fill it out.
• Must register 30 days before election to vote in that election.

Submit Application    

• Hand-deliver or mail in application.
• If never registered to vote in Michigan and choose to mail in application, remember to include identification information.   
• Card will show location where to cast ballot.

Present acceptable photo ID at polls or sign an affidavit if no photo ID is available.

Points to Remember

• If you move to a new city or township, you must re-register. If you move within a city or township and are already registered to vote, you only need to update your address.
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• If you are in jail, awaiting arraignment or trial, you may register to vote. If you are in jail after being convicted and sentenced, you may not register to vote or vote while you are confined.
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• Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center at www.Michigan.gov/vote for information about registering to vote and voting, voting equipment, polling place locations, state and local ballots, the candidates, campaign finance and more. Your local clerk can help with questions about your voter registration, polling place location and working at the polls.

A Guide to Voter Identification at the Polls
By law, every Michigan voter must present picture identification at the polls, or sign an affidavit attesting that he or she is not in possession of picture identification.

Prepare for Election Day

• Remember to bring an acceptable form of photo identification to the polls on Election Day. If you don't have photo ID you can still vote (see Voting Without Photo ID below).
• Your photo ID does not need to have your address on it. In addition, the name on your identification card may be a shorter form of your name. For example, "Bill" for "William" and "Kathy" for "Katherine" are acceptable.
• After showing your photo ID to the poll worker and signing the application, you may cast your ballot.

Voting Without Photo ID

• If you do not have photo ID, you can still cast a ballot simply by signing an affidavit. The affidavit can be used by:
• Voters who do not have acceptable photo ID
• Voters who have photo ID but didn't bring it to the polls
• Once you sign the affidavit, you may cast your ballot. It will be counted with all other ballots on Election Day.

Getting a State ID Card

• If you do not have a driver's license or other acceptable photo identification, you can get a state identification card at your local Secretary of State branch office for $10.
• State ID cards are free to individuals who are 65 or older or who are blind. Cards are also free to those who have had driving privileges terminated due to a physical or mental disability.
• Proof of identity and residency are required when applying for a state ID card. The fee can also be waived for individuals who present other good cause for a fee waiver. Visit www.Michigan.gov/sos for details on what forms are acceptable in order to prove identity and residency, or call (888) SOS-MICH (767-6424).

Michigan Voter Information Center
This Web site provides you with a vast assortment of information related to voter registration and election administration in Michigan. To view your own voter information, you'll have to log in.
Once you log in, you can:

• Determine if you are registered to vote
• Find your polling location
• Contact your local election official
• Learn to use your voting equipment
• Find answers to frequently asked questions
• View your sample ballot
• Michigan Voter Information Center

We encourage feedback. If you have suggestions to make the Michigan Voter Information Center better, please contact us at soswebmaster@michigan.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions at

http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1633_8716-202476--,00.html

• Do I have to show my voter registration card in order to vote?
• Do I need to show identification in order to vote?
• Does Michigan allow early voting?
• Can Michigan residents in jail or prison still vote?
• Can I wear election-related clothing to the polls?
• Must I vote the entire ballot?
• Does a "straight" ticket cover all candidates in that party?
• Can I vote a "split" ticket?
• Can voters be challenged based on home foreclosures?
• Can I use a camera in the polls?
• Are absentee ballots always counted?

What You Need to Know About Absentee Voting

Download an absentee ballot application
Send your absentee ballot request form to your clerk
Absentee voter ballots are available for all elections. They provide voters with a convenient method for casting a ballot when they are unable to attend the polls on election day.

As a registered voter, you may obtain an absentee voter ballot if you are:

• age 60 years old or older
• unable to vote without assistance at the polls
• expecting to be out of town on election day
• in jail awaiting arraignment or trial
• unable to attend the polls due to religious reasons
• appointed to work as an election inspector in a precinct outside of your precinct of residence.
• A person who registers to vote by mail must vote in person in the first election in which he or she participates. The restriction does not apply to overseas voters, voters who are handicapped or voters who are 60 years of age or older. (Voting in person on one governmental level clears the restriction on the other levels. For example, if a voter subject to the restriction votes in person at a school election, the voter would be free to obtain an absentee ballot for the first state election in which he or she wishes to participate.)

Requesting an Absentee Voter Ballot

• Your request for an absentee voter ballot must be in writing and can be submitted to your city or township clerk. (For assistance in obtaining the address of your city or township clerk, see http://www.Michigan.gov/vote) Your request must include one of the six statutory reasons stated above and your signature. You must request an absentee voter ballot by mailing the application, a letter, a postcard, or a pre-printed application form obtained from your local clerk's office. Requests to have an absentee voter ballot mailed to you must be received by your clerk no later than 2 p.m. the Saturday before the election.
• Once your request is received by the local clerk, your signature on the request will be checked against your voter registration record before a ballot is issued. You must be a registered voter to receive an absentee ballot. Requests for absentee voter ballots are processed immediately. Absentee voter ballots may be issued to you at your home address or any address outside of your city or township of residence.
• After receiving your absentee voter ballot, you have until 8 p.m. on election day to complete the ballot and return it to the clerk's office. Your ballot will not be counted unless your signature is on the return envelope and matches your signature on file. If you received assistance voting the ballot, then the signature of the person who helped you must also be on the return envelope. Only you, a family member or person residing in your household, a mail carrier, or election official is authorized to deliver your signed absentee voter ballot to your clerk's office.
• If an emergency, such as a sudden illness or family death prevents you from reaching the polls on election day, you may request an emergency absentee voter ballot. Requests for an emergency ballot must be submitted after the deadline for regular absentee voter ballots has passed but before 4 p.m. on election day. The emergency must have occurred at a time which made it impossible for you to apply for a regular absentee voter ballot. Your local clerk will have more information about emergency absentee voter ballots.
• Voting is one of the most cherished and fundamental rights in our country. If you are eligible to obtain an absentee voter ballot and cannot attend the polls on election day, use of the absentee voter ballot is strongly encouraged.

INFORMATION FROM: http://www.michigan.gov/sos/