Do not forget to VOTE!

(This is almost entirely off the topic of web analytics. My apologies to those of you uninterested in the political process here in the U.S.)

This is just a friendly reminder from Analytics Demystified to all of you living in the United States: DO NOT FORGET TO VOTE ON TUESDAY!

With the economic situation being what it is around the world, with the challenges we face both as Americans and as members of a larger global community, and with the opportunity that we are all given as citizens in this fine country, I sincerely hope that every member of the web analytics community in the U.S. will block the time necessary to go out and support whichever candidate they choose and in doing so support the entire democratic process.

Long lines are predicted, do not wait until the last minute!

Being quantitatively minded I find some small irony watching CNN in the evening and listening to the debate over whether we can trust the polls or not.  These polls are given to us usually with little more than sample size and give no detail about the audience, the outreach, or the particular bias of the pollsters themselves. We in web analytics know that the data can be made to say anything we want it to.

Don’t believe the polls.  Vote!

The worst thing we can do as citizens, regardless of political bent, is assume the polls are correct and that our candidate will win by a landslide or be sent home with his tail between his legs.  The wife of the candidate that I personally support said it best on Larry King when she said “This is a race to the end, and we plan to run through the finish line.”

Don’t assume, don’t be lazy, don’t relax for a minute.  Vote!

During my last trip abroad I was amazed at how many people feel a vested interest in this election, despite their inability to participate. But in fact I do believe you can participate — by reminding your friends and colleagues here in the United States that they need to vote and not taking “I’m too busy” or “the lines are too long” or “my guy is going to win by a landslide” for an answer.

Remind your friends in the U.S. that they need to participate and need to be counted. Remind them to vote on Tuesday!

If you live in a state that supports mail in ballots like Oregon, make sure you know if it’s too late to use the mail (in Oregon it is, you need to go to a ballot drop-off location.) If you live in a state that allows early voting, early vote! If the lines are long, keep in mind that in the swing states that this entire election may come down to tens of thousands of votes — not hundreds of thousands or millions — and every single vote counts!

Your vote counts. Cast it on Tuesday!

Regardless of who you support, if you live here in the U.S. you owe it to yourself, your countrymen, and your country to set aside the time on Tuesday and participate in the political process. In these troubled times, President Kennedy’s statement “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” resonates more true than ever.

Please do not forget to vote on Tuesday.

(Again, apologies for the off topic message.)