Stop right there, you!

"You. You! The person who just walked out of the voting booth and didn't cast a vote in every office on the ballot! Get back in there and vote for the rest of those candidates!"

Is this what you will hear on February 2, if you exit the private voting booth and failed to cast a vote in every office?

What if you don't want to vote for someone? Maybe you don't see any candidates worth your vote. Or even worthy the office, in your opinion.

Isn't there already a prompt to alert you if you didn't vote for an office? Why should you be confronted when you push back the curtain and step out? Can you just feel all those beady eyes zeroing in on you? Bingo! Gotcha! Guilty!

It's bad enough that, in Illinois, you must announce which party's ballot you want to vote in the Primary. For years I voted Republican, almost without thinking about it. Shame on me.

I guess I'll blame it on my dad. He said he would always vote for the best man, as long as he was a Republican.

For me, that changed with George Bush and his henchmen. When (who was it? Cheney?) said, "If you're not with us, you're against us", that lost me. Along with the stupid decisions that Dubya made.

So I became an embarrassed Republican and much more selective about just which Republican got my vote.

So be ready with your answer on February 2. When you leave the booth without marking a choice in every office, be ready for the "Hey, you."

What will you say?

"I voted exactly the way I wanted. Now get lost." But remember; be polite. The volunteers working on Election Day didn't make this stupid state law. Our elected representatives in Springfield did.

In the past I have suggested to the Northwest Herald that it include Bill Numbers and Statute numbers in articles. It seems to me that an editor even agreed that that would make sense. Then it would be easy to look up a law and learn which legislators proposed it and which voted for it.

And then we could remember them "in the right way" the next time we see their names on the ballot. Care to read today's NWH editorial? Go to www.nwherald.com/articles/2010/01/04/r_praw5iskrr219lujfrpmhg/index.xml

The article leads off with "County clerks across Illinois are steamed about a new state law that, some say, vilates the sanctity of the secret ballot."

So, where was the outcry by the County Clerks, elected by us, when that legislation was first proposed and when it was winding its way through the hallowed halls in Springfield???

Voter Registration Deadline

Is there a deadline for voter registration in McHenry County? How about the Lawyer's Answer? It depends.

If you would like to vote sometime in the future, there is no deadline.

If you would like to vote in the November 4, 2008, General Election for President of the United States, then there most definitely is a deadline, and it is October 7.

How do I know this - definitely not from the County Clerk's office (shame on them). I learned of it from the billboard sign on U.S. 14 between Woodstock and Crystal Lake. Thanks to Sen. Pam Althoff and Rep. Mike Tryon!

You have 15 days remaining (as of, and including, September 17) to register. If you have moved, you must re-register.

Election officials forecast a large number of first-time voters.

If you know someone who is at least 18 and who is not a registered voter, persuade him to register. A person cannot vote, if he is not registered. He can always decide whether to vote, come Election Day. If he is not registered, then he has no choice - he cannot vote.

You would never know of the registration deadline, if you read only the Voter Registration information on the McHenry County website. How easy it would be to inform voters that they must register (or re-register) by a certain date.

The County webpage also fails to inform those wishing to register to vote of the many places where registration can be completed. You don't have to go to the office of the County Clerk at the courthouse.

For information about where you can register, call 815.334.4242

Do not wait until the last moment. And, if you register at some place other than the County Clerk's office, be sure to save your copy of your registration form. If you get to the voting place on Election Day and are told that you are not registered, present your copy of your registration form and insist (politely) that the voting judge do whatever is necessary to allow you to vote.

Voting in the USA is not a privilege. It is your Right!

Can't wait for November 4th to get here. Vote early. The phrase, "Vote Early and Vote Often", comes to mind. I'll be sporting my Voting button on Election Day. As I leave the voting place, I always say, "See you later." Keep in mind that the County Clerk probably won't want to see your shining face more than once.

Early voting starts October 14. You can find that information about Early Voting on the McHenry County website at co.mchenry.il.us

Of course, you can't vote early, if you are not registered!