Last Day to Register to Vote!

Today is the last day to register to vote for this year's election.

I want to thank my friend, Ben Markham, for underwriting an online voter registration drive. The drive continues throughout today, but so far 175 people have gone to the state's online registration site.

Registering to vote is one half of being an informed voter! Registration deadline is Tuesday https://t.co/x3WbyYdqrt pic.twitter.com/jeav4B5WBT

— David Harding (@ProvoDave) October 26, 2015

Register to vote by Tuesday! Click here to it online! Share if you are already registered.
Posted by David Harding for Provo District 5 on Saturday, October 24, 2015

Register to Vote!

I estimate that three out of every four people I spoke with yesterday while knocking doors was not registered to vote.

Think about that. (And consider that our dismal voter participation rates are based on the number of registered voters, not the number of eligible voters.)

Let's do something about it. Registering to vote is one half of being an informed voter. The other half is becoming informed, but that won't help if the person is not registered. Tuesday is the deadline to register. We can work on getting informed after that.

Registering online is the easiest way for most people.

If you are reading my blog there is an extremely good chance that you are already registered to vote. Which is why I need your help. We can all make a difference by reminding people between now and Tuesday to register. If you are on Facebook, please share my "register to vote" ad, which links directly to the online registration site. If you are on Twitter, please retweet my plea. If you are going to a football game today, please remind the fans around you. If you are going for a night out on the town, pester the people you bump into. If you are attending a church this weekend, make an announcement. If you are going into work before Tuesday, encourage your coworkers to register.

Daily Herald/Channel 17 Interview

It's painful to watch video of myself in these kind of interviews. I console myself with the thought that so few people actually watch these things anyway. So why I'm posting the video here is difficult to explain. Perhaps it stems from my commitment to transparency, or perhaps from my insanity.

In the last interview it was painful to hear all my 'um's. This time I tried to say 'um' less, so instead of pausing to find the right word, I used whatever word popped into my head. It's still painful to watch.

On the bright side, I have plenty of room to grow and get better.

Thanks to Cathy Allred from the Daily Herald and everyone at Channel 17. This is a great service to help inform the electorate. 

Two Weeks To Go!

Election Day is only two weeks away. Early voting begins today at 1pm at the Rec Center. More details at my Voter Info page.

Debate Videos

In case you missed the debates from the past couple of weeks, here are video recordings of all the action...all three hours worth. Fortunately you can skip forward to the questions and answers that you care about, something that you can't do live and in person.

Stylish New Lawn Ornaments

Have you seen the newest trend in residential landscape augmentation? Perhaps you've seen these bold lawn ornaments popping up in the yards of your most influential neighbors. You too can be in the avante garde by ordering a "Doctor Dave for District 5" campaign sign for your yard. A friendly technician (me) will come right out and expertly install this beautiful piece of art so that you can proudly show support for your favorite District 5 candidate. No seriously, email me and I'll bring one over.

Act now! Supplies are running out!

Sample Ballot - District 5

Here is a sample of what your ballot will look like, if you live in District 5. It is helpful to read over the propositions beforehand so that you have the opportunity to find answers to any questions you may have. Stephen Hemingway is the Write-In candidate; you'll need to write in "HEMI" for it to count, though.

Remember:

• Early voting starts next week
• Voting registration runs until the 27^th of October

Bike Provo

The Provo Bicycle Committee invited all City Council candidates to respond to five questions about active transportation and making Provo more bicycle friendly. I highly recommend you head over to their website to see our responses.

Council Debates

Attending political debates is one of the quickest ways to become a more informed voter on both the candidates and important issues.

The next debate for all of the candidates is tomorrow (Tuesday). It is being held at the Provo Rec Center, starting at 7pm with a meet-and-greet an hour beforehand. More details can be found here.

Last Wednesday BYU’s Office of Civic Engagement and Political Affairs Society hosted a debate. Here is some news coverage of the debate.

Photo by Grant Hindsley of the Daily Herald, published with an article on the debate.

Pick Your Debate

After complaints that there were not enough opportunities for voters to get to know the candidates before the primary, there are three debates coming up in the next week and a half to ask us questions.

sponsor	races	date	location
Office of Civic Engagement and the BYU Political Affairs Society	Districts 1,3,4,5 and City Wide	October 7th 4 - 5:30PM	Varsity Theater at BYU. There is visitor parking either by the Law School or the Museum of Art.
Franklin Neighborhood	Districts 3,5 and City Wide	October 7th 6:30PM	Franklin Elementary School
Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce	Districts 1,3,4,5 and City Wide	October 13th 7 - 8:30PM	Provo Recreation Center

These are great opportunities to educate yourself on the candidates so that you can be an informed voter.