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Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections set to unveil
“Vote in Honor of a Vet” program

SARASOTA, FL, October 31, 2003 – On Veterans Day, November 11, 2003, Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent will unveil a new program designed to inspire the county’s younger citizens to go to the polls and vote on Election Day. “Vote in Honor of a Vet” will recognize the contributions and sacrifices our veterans have made to preserve our many freedoms, including the right to vote. The program will be officially launched at the ceremony following the Veterans’ Day Parade in Sarasota.

“Since the 1971 ratification of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age to 18, the country has witnessed a steady decline in the number of voters in the 18 to 24 year age group. My hope is that ‘Vote in Honor of a Veteran’ will personalize the importance of voting for every eligible high school student and create civic-minded individuals and lifelong voters,” Ms Dent said.

Beginning November 11, the SOE office will mail a copy of a veteran’s biography with every voter ID card it sends out. While the program targets 18- to 24-year-olds, all eligible Sarasotans are invited to vote in honor of a veteran in 2004 -- perhaps a family member, a neighbor, or a favorite military hero.

The Supervisor of Elections office has been working closely with the Sarasota County Veterans Commission and its membership to collect biographies from local veterans. A veteran biography form may be downloaded from the SOE Web site at www.srqelections.com. Forms for veterans who are missing in action or deceased may also be downloaded and then mailed or faxed to the SOE office.