NYU's MS of Integrated Marketing Association (IMA)

DIMAblog is a private blog in the public service. (and not above purloining good copy)

The United States is a federal republic with power derived from the people. Our constitution guarantees our rights. The deadline to ensure you may legally exercise your right to vote quickly approaches:

In New York registrations must be received by the Board of Elections by October 13th in order to vote in the November 7th general election.

In New Jersey registrations must be received by the Board of Elections by October 17th in order to vote in the November 7th general election.

In Connecticut registrations must be postmarked by October 24th in order to vote in the November 7th general election.

All other state deadlines may be found here.

If you’re not a citizen then consider becoming one. Information is available on the USCIS website or if you’re in a hurry you may be able to arrange something on craigslist.

You may be thinking… “Who cares about voting…nothing ever changes.”, “My vote doesn’t count.”, “They’re all a bunch a crooks anyway.”

Actually change does happen. Just look at the history of voting itself. Women were disenfranchised until 1920; the disgusting legacy of denying suffrage to minorities and poor voters didn’t begin to end till the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the voting age didn’t drop from 21 to 18 until 1971. All of them changes that were influenced by the ballot box.

You’re vote counts…the margin of victory in Florida for the 2000 presidential election was less than 0.01% . In 2004, the margin of victory in Wisconsin was 0.38%. All results slimmer than Nicole Richie!

As for the crooks opinion…it’s the exception not the rule. All societies, in fact all organizations, have their leaders, villains, do-nothings, charlatans, heroes, thieves, etc…why wouldn’t you expect some of this to appear in our representative mechanisms from time to time? If it does… do you just accept it or do you try and fix it? Have you even met your elected representatives before? Try it sometime you may be surprised.

Voting is also important because it affects direct marketing. The National Do-Not-Call Registry was the direct result of voter pressure over nuisance telemarketing. Elected officials gave the authority to the FTC and FCC to create the list. Soon a data privacy bill will be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that will mandate how long you will need to retain customer information on a database – simply because the government may want to look at it?! Is that a good thing Martha?

Uh-oh! DIMAblog is noticing its soapbox is beginning to crack. DIMAblog must step-down, make a few repairs, and rest its fine voice.

Please register and vote!