I haven’t been posting as much as I’d like to over the past week or so, but don’t think I’ve forgotten about you. I just want to remind you how important it is that you exercise your rights and vote tomorrow. Some of you may have already voted. Early voting is an excellent step in the right direction, removing one of the many barriers to participation in our democracy. To those who haven’t (including me), you may be in for a long wait tomorrow. More people are registered to vote this year than any year since women’s suffrage, 1920 for those scoring at home. It is worth waiting. It is worth taking a few hours away from work. This is important.

While at the polling place, you should bring along your digital camera or camcorder or whatever kind of recording device that may be handy and document your voting process. PBS and YouTube are hosting a Video Your Vote channel to host everyone’s experience. This has two huge benefits for society. First, it keeps a record of any shenanigans or voter suppression that may be going on out there (don’t ever forget what happened in 2000 and 2004). Second, it is a great way to promote active citizenry. Just make sure such recording is legal in your state.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to video my vote as Kansas is quite restrictive on cameras in the polling booth. Rest assured, any snafus I encounter will be well-documented here. Thankfully, I get to vote with a trusty No. 2 pencil. No touch-screen for me!

Finally, if you do live in a state like Kansas, i.e. a foregone conclusion, please consider voting for a prominent third party candidate in any race. This is particularly true in the presidential race. The real impact of the electoral college, for those of us with minority viewpoints in foregone states, is the enhanced responsibility to try to increase the number of voices leading our country. Our only hope for getting better candidates is to get a diversity of viewpoints into the public forum. Sure, we can all espouse on the internet, but there is a monopoly on the top of the ticket. The corporate party rules all. I’m not telling you who to vote for, but please, consider a third party candidate.

If you do video your vote, post a link to it in the comments or embed it here and let us all see how it went for you. Good luck and good voting!

Tags: Barrack Obama, common sense, Congress, Joe Biden, John McCain, mainstream media, pbs and youtube, pbs video your vote, register to vote, Sarah Palin, video your vote, vote independent, vote third party, youtube video your vote