Women and Voting

Newbie33

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution gave women the right to vote in 1920

 

60% of women voted in the 2004 presidential election.

 

55% of women between the ages of 25 and 44 voted.

 

74% of women currently think the nation has gotten on the wrong track.

 

82% of those women say they will *probably* vote in 2008.

 

Let's make that number higher. How can we, as women, matter and how can our voices be heard if we aren't doing one of the most simple and important acts we are privileged enough to be able to do?

 

Are you registered to vote?

If not, Oregon residents can go to:

http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/votreg/vreg.htm

You need to re-register if you have moved.

 

You must be registered by October 14 in order to vote in the November election. (do it today!)

 

Ballots will go out on October 17 so you have time to research the issues and make an informed decision. Make it fun. Have a voting party and encourage your friends to vote too.

 

The general election is November 4.

 

It's easy to vote in Oregon. Our ballots come to us. If you don't have an opinion on an issue or don't want to vote for a candidate, it's ok to leave that one blank. There are many more issues and candidates to vote for.

 

Women before us fought for this privilege. Honor them. Honor you. Vote.

queenbone

Applause!

I get all riled up on this topic.  Remember nagging need not be limited to husbands.  Nag your girlfriends to make sure they have mailed in their ballots and if not offer to pick it up and deliver it in on election day. 

littlecorazon

Yay! Agreed 100%

America is still SO backwards when it comes to women rights. Other countries already have women presidents and do not have a glass ceiling. Many women in America still look down on the idea of women being the bread winners.

My political view and only sharing it not to be argued with you but because I believe it is important to the focus of this point- Sarah Palin has my husbands and many others vote just because she has the librarian look, how degrading that McCain had to go that low. And guess what, she will be paid according to her experience. hmmm, was Hillary not qualified yet she is not in the race. My vote obiviously was going for Hillary. Now, I don't know who I'm voting for but I applaud Sarah Palin for being a mother and aspiring more and I think she will help us, Women, get behind this backwards thinking if McCain wins. She will help our mens nation and women realize that we can be a mother of five and still have a career and be dedicated to it.

I know women who make more than their husbands, carry health insurance for their family and yet instead of us applading them we look at their husbands as losers. When we think of a 'normal' American family, the majority of us still see the husband as making the big bucks and his wife supporting him at home - just look at Obama's and McCains' wifes.

Mrs2DUCKSinLOVE

If you do register to vote, please educate yourself about the issues and not base your vote on gender and race.

Newbie33

Mrs2Ducks...

I'm a Beaver Believer (hehe) but THANK YOU for saying that. Voting is incredibly important but in order to REALLY honor ourselves and the women who fought for our right to vote, we need to be educated on the topics at hand.

Look at what is important to you and vote based on those issues. If you're pro-choice, believe in the separation of church and state, believe that war is not the immediate answer and feel even the slightest bit of responsibility to future generations when it comes to debt & the environment, McCain & Palin are NOT the answer no matter what is or isn't between Palin's legs. And if you support creationism & abstinence-only education and invading Russia, then Obama & Biden are probably not for you regardless of what color each of them is.

littlecorazon

ok, ok. I know better than to have mentioned my ideas of where american woman are today. I can only hope that if you do vote that you do your homework and educate yourself and not vote based on race or gender. My entire post was to point out where Women ARE in america - nowhere. That we still have a long way to go.I was supporting your statistics - we need to do more. I can see why my Hillary comment may seem like I'm voting based on Gender, the Clintons will always have my vote whether it's Bill or Hillary.

Ladies, just because we have been thrown a bone by allowing us to vote doesn't mean we've come far. It was a stepping stone so step on it. Get involved, get educated, and do more in your everyday lives than to just vote every four years to promote women rights. THAT was my point.

estherandgeoff2

I wish I could vote in this election. But alas, I am not a US citizen. I am however, one of those highly educated women who make more than their husbands and who carry the family's health insurance. We have come a long way. Choosing McCain and Palin is not going to improve that any more. McCain is the one who doesn't believe women should get the same pay for the same job held by a man. So who is holding us back now. 

Please don't say that Michelle Obama is just there to support her husband at home. She is a smart and highly educated woman who CHOSE to support her husband in this presidential race because she believes in him and in his cause. And, did you see Ellen Degeneres, she can dance .

 She deserves just as much respect as Sarah Palin if not more. Just because Hillary didn't win the nomination for the Democrats, doesn't mean you should switch to voting for the GOP because they have a female VP nominee.

I truly hope that the next 4 years will not be like the previous 8. We need a better economy, we need to end this expensive war, we need to provide our children with the education they deserve, we need to provide healthcare that is affordable to everybody and we need to live in a world where we can tolerate people regardless of what they believe in.

Mrs2DUCKSinLOVE

Very well put, Esther and Newbie.

ps. Esther, your daughter is so freaking cute, I want to pinch her cheek off.

estherandgeoff2

Aw, thanks! We pinch her cheeks a lot too .

bula

I became a citizen last fall just for this year's election after years of putting it off. ?I'm excited that my "voice" will finally be heard.?

estherandgeoff2

Good for you! I have to wait at least another year before I can apply for citizenship.