Speak Up: The Power of Voting and Letting Your Voice Be Heard with Paul Bruning

Hard to believe how times flies by and here we are in another Presidential Election year. The right to vote starts with Article 1 of the Constitution, giving States the responsibility of overseeing Federal elections. Since that time, several amendments and laws have been implemented to protect individuals voting rights. Major amendments to the Constitution include: 

15th Amendment (1870) provided for voting rights for African American males.  
19th Amendment (1920) stipulated voting rights for American women.  
26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age for all elections to 18 years of age.  
 
Several Federal laws have been passed to protect American’s right to vote and to improve ease of exercising the right to vote. At the same time States have enacted voting laws that some have seen as restricting individuals’ ability to vote and include such things as ID requirements for voting access.  
 
To find your States voting ID requirements go to: 
https://www.usa.gov/voter-id  
 
To find your polling (voting) locations go to: 
https://www.usa.gov/find-polling-place  
 
Voting is something that we may take for granted. It is an essential part of our democratic process and permits everyone a voice. It is your individual opportunity to vote for or against those seeking election based on their performance and or political platforms. To prepare for voting educate yourself on the candidates and what they believe in and state as their political platforms. Find out what State Constitutional Amendments or Policies might be on the election ballot. Being prepared and educating yourself is the voter’s responsibility for taking part in this special process. Many people have died for the right to vote and to maintain that right.  
 
Educate yourself on the policies and candidates in this year’s election. Fulfill your hard fought for rights by getting out and voting. If you do not vote, then do not complain about who is elected. This is your opportunity to influence who represents you.  
 
Get out and Vote!!  

uncheon as a fly on the wall if you will.  My main objective was to attend and show my support for the organization that was hosting the event.  I was also able to turn this into a great networking opportunity as I was 1 of only 2 attendees that were not on the board of the hosting organization.   

What struck me most was the genuine commitment of the elected officials to listen and learn from the group.  Several members of the organization had volunteered countless hours to help write this legislation and to provide feedback and support.  It was great to witness the officials actively seeking out best answers to difficult questions and I believe that this bill will be able to pass due to their willingness to learn from the experts in the field. 

AAOE, we are those experts! We should all take a vested interest in the policy making that goes on at the state and federal levels.  I have been a member of AAOE for 2.5 years and have been a volunteer with the AAOE Advocacy Council for just over 2 years now.  I chose to get involved with Advocacy because it was a role I did not know much about.  I desired to stretch myself in a new direction and I have been glad to learn and give voice to the issues that impact how we take care of patients and run our practices.  Whether you get involved with AAOE Advocacy council or not, I hope you chose to stay informed and get involved at the state and federal level. 


We encourage you to schedule your own visit and let us help you! 

If you’d like to participate in hosting a visit to your facility, please reach out to Jake Kohn (jkohn@lobbyit.com) or Jennifer Nordquest (jnordquest@aaoe.net) and include the following information: 

 - Your specific location (city and state) 
 - Your contact information 
 - 3-5 Sentences about what your facility does