Let Your Voice Be Heard

After a campaign season that seemed like it would never end, Election Day is here! Today, Americans all over this country will make their decision about who they want to represent them as president, senators, congressmen, governors, and state and local officers.

Exercise your civic duty, and let your voice be heard!

Florida voters wait in line to cast their ballots. (Getty Images)

I voted earlier this morning, and came out of the booth feeling great. It’s the same feeling I get every election. Over the decades, no matter whom I’ve voted for or which party they belong to, I come out feeling invigorated.

It’s not because of some confidence that my candidates will win; it’s because this is a unique opportunity that we have as Americans to express ourselves. In the voting booth, it’s just you and your conscience.

You don’t have to worry about what other people want you to think. Behind the curtain, you look inside yourself and make a choice, an honest choice about what you believe.

How many people throughout history, around the entire world, have had the opportunity that we have as Americans? It’s easy to take for granted, but voting is a privilege that is still denied to so many all over the globe.

And I believe that voting is a particularly important moment for small business entrepreneurs. Small businesses don’t have lobbyists helping them out.

We don’t have the ear of politicians in the halls of power, no matter what the rhetoric says. But what we do have is the opportunity to make our voices heard through our votes. There are millions of entrepreneurs in this country, and it’s our responsibility to make our vote count.

It’s our responsibility not to be in the bag for one party or the other. When you give one party everything no matter what, then you’re not going to get anything. The only way we as small business entrepreneurs can make this country better for small business is to be judicious with our vote: we have to give them to candidates who are worthy and who will help, not to candidates who will damage small business.

We may not have lobbyists and powerful connections, but on Election Day, our vote counts just as much as everyone else’s: one person, one vote.

I encourage everyone to get out and vote today, no matter what the weather is like outside, no matter how long the line is. This is one of the things that defines this great country.

Fran Tarkenton is the Founder and CEO of OneMoreCustomer.com, a web resource for Small Business Advocacy and Education. After his Hall of Fame football career, Fran had a successful career in television and then turned to business. He has founded and built more than 20 successful companies and now spends his time coaching aspiring entrepreneurs. Read more reports from Fran Tarkenton — Click Here Now.