| A decision making process where people choose | | | | rights to vote, and securing the right to vote to |
| people to hold official offices. Yes ELECTION, the | | | | other groups which remain excluded in some |
| usual mechanism by which modern democracy fills | | | | places (such as convicted felons, members of |
| offices in the legislature, sometimes in the | | | | certain minorities and the economically |
| executive and judiciary, and for regional and local | | | | disadvantaged) continues to be a significant goal |
| government. | | | | of voting rights advocates. |
| According to Fr. Fank Pavone, M.E.V. National | | | | The second most important thing to be |
| Director, "it's a declarations of "done deal" | | | | mentioned is that there are two important stages |
| beforethey're done. It's war of polls and | | | | to an election. |
| "front-runners," of probabilities and predictions". | | | | Stage one, in which we are now, is the period of |
| There are two important questions relating to | | | | time when we get to decide who will be on the |
| elections; The first is that who may vote, which is | | | | ballot. Stage two, which comes after the primates |
| a central issue in elections and the second is which | | | | are all finished, is when we figure out who on the |
| stage are we in regard to election. Before | | | | ballot should get our vote. |
| clarifying about these two important questions we | | | | These are two very different stages. |
| must have some pre-knowledge about history of | | | | Key to winning the psychological battle for the |
| elections and two stages which are distinguished in | | | | election is to keep reminding ourselves that we |
| them. | | | | are in stage One, not stage Two. |
| The first most important thing to know is that | | | | The fact is that right now, nobody knows which |
| the electorate does not generally include the | | | | candidate will be on the ballot for the presidential |
| entire population; For example, many countries | | | | election in November of 2008. It could be any one |
| prohibit those judged mentally incompetent from | | | | of the candidates who have already declared their |
| voting, and all jurisdictions require a minimum age | | | | intention to run, or it could be someone we |
| for voting. | | | | haven't heard of yet. As past elections have |
| Historically, many other groups of people have | | | | shown, "front-runners" at this stage of the |
| also been excluded from voting. For instance, the | | | | process do not necessarily become the winner on |
| democracy of ancient Athens did not allow | | | | election day. And in the age of blogs, |
| women, foreigners, or slaves to vote, and the | | | | circumstances in politics change faster than ever, |
| original United States Constitution left the topic of | | | | and the dynamics of change are more numerous |
| suffrage to the states; | | | | and unpredictable than ever. Many things still have |
| Usually only white male property owners were | | | | to happen. |
| able to vote! Much of the history of elections | | | | Straw polls, debates into a much stronger position |
| involves the effort to promote suffrage for | | | | that they now enjoy. |
| excluded groups. The women's suffrage | | | | The 2008 Election battle is well underway, but the |
| movement gave women in many countries the | | | | battlefield, at this stage of the election is not in |
| right to vote, and securing the right to vote | | | | the voting booth, and not even in the bank. |
| freely was a major goal of the American civil | | | | |