There is no school for our kids and no work for our employees tomorrow, but I hope no one thinks of it as a “day off.” Tomorrow is Election Day here in Fayette County and across our great nation, and that means we have an important responsibility to fulfill. Many people have fought to safeguard our right to vote, and it is critical that we honor their sacrifices and make our voices heard.

Many of our schools will be polling places, and all indications suggest there will be a record voter turnout. I hope those predictions are true and that every one of you joins in this historic election.

Before I close, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to our marching bands – once again Fayette County led the state and captured another title. Congratulations to Lafayette High School on its marching band championship, and kudos to Paul Laurence Dunbar for a second-place finish. No other district in Kentucky can claim to have the best two marching bands in the state for so many years! (We are also proud that Bryan Station and Tates Creek high schools qualified to compete in the state finals.) Our kids, our directors and our band boosters deserve a standing ovation!

I’ll leave you with some reasons to Get Out and Vote, courtesy of the Will County Clerk in Illinois:

1. To speak your mind: Your vote is your voice. It tells elected officials how you feel about education, health care, Social Security and other important issues.
2. For our children: Our children can’t vote – so we have to do it for them. That’s how we make our views known about schools, safety, the environment and other issues that will affect our children’s future.
3. For yourself: Let’s face it – it’s no fun to sit on the sidelines and complain. To win the game, you have to be in it. Voting puts you in the game that counts most of all – democracy.
4. To honor our history: As long as this country has existed, there have been people who didn’t want us to vote. Well, guess what? Today, there are still people who don’t want you to vote. And it’s your turn to stand up and vote to preserve and honor those who went before us.
5. To control our future: Elected officials make decisions that affect our daily lives. From homeland security to Social Security, the individuals we vote for will make decisions about our quality of life.
6. To start something: Voting gets to be habit-forming, and it’s contagious, too. Once you get out and vote, it’ll feel so good that you’ll want to do it again and again. Pretty soon your kids and neighbors will want some of what you’ve got, and from there on, the rest will be history.
7. To win: In every election year, some races are decided by just a handful of votes. Those who vote demand respect. When we vote, we win.