Friends of the South Lake County Chamber of Commerce:

I want to welcome you to our website for advocacy, elections information, and nonpartisan civic participation. This is a one-stop information shopping center that is designed to inform members and citizens regarding upcoming elections.

As we work together with our members, the Chamber Alliance, and multiple levels of government to take a stand for businesses and our community, we realize the need to equip you by providing relevant information to help facilitate prudent decisions.

On the pages within this site, you can register to vote, apply for an absentee ballot, learn more about candidates and link to their individual websites, locate where you go to vote, contact your elected officials, and much more. Advocacy components have also been added to allow you to independently contact legislators on issues important to you.

As the results of the last few elections have shown, races can often be won or lost by a relatively small number of votes. Yet despite the competitiveness of these elections, voter registration and turnout in the US have plummeted over the past 50 years, and we now have the lowest average voter turnout among mature democracies. Despite changes in election law making it easier to register and vote, the turnout for the 1996 Presidential Election was 49% - the lowest turn out since 1924. During the heated 2000 campaign, turnout reached just 50% and while turnout was better in 2004, the simple fact is that many people continue not to register, and vote or enter the polling booth uninformed about the issues and/or the candidates.

One-in-five non-voters reported they were too busy to vote. But frankly, we're all busy and are challenged to find time to do things we know we should do but often don't -- like voting. Simply put, the stakes are too high to neglect this important right and civic obligation, stakes that will eventually affect both our personal and business lives.

At times, you'll be asked to provide some personal information before entering the different components of the site. The information is used to properly match you to your elected officials and to assist you with registering to vote or requesting an absentee ballot.

I encourage you to do all you can to participate in the 2008 elections. Voting is a right that many of us take for granted. Millions of people throughout the world cannot cast a meaningful ballot and many have died for the right to do so... but we can and should. Your vote will make a difference.

I encourage you to take advantage of all the resources Vote for Florida has to offer.

Sincerely,

Ray San Fratello
President
South Lake Chamber of Commerce