Last day to register to vote in General Primary is June 16

The last day to register to vote in the General Primary, set for Tuesday, July 15, is Monday, June 16.

Voter registration is held during regular business hours at the following locations: the Lincoln County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, located in The Lincoln Center on May Avenue; the Lincoln County Courthouse on Humphrey Street; LCHS; Dean's Beauty Salon on Metasville Road; and City Hall, the Lincoln County Library, the Lincoln County Health Department, and the Lincoln County Department of Family and Children Services, all on Peachtree Street.

Mail-in applications may be obtained at these locations or by visiting the secretary of state's website at www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/ applications.htm.

To register to vote, an individual must:

.. Be 17-and-one-half years old.

.. Be a resident of the county in which he wishes to register.

.. Be a United States citizen.

.. Not be serving a sentence for a felony involving moral turpitude.

.. Not have been adjudicated mentally incompetent.

Once the voter registration application has been approved, a precinct card is mailed to the applicant. If the individual does not receive his card within two to three weeks, he should contact the elections and registration office at 706-359-6126.

Listed below are several good reasons to get out and vote on July 15:

(1) Voting is one way of honoring our ancestors. Many have died to gain and protect the right to vote. The least we can do is exercise that right, which was purchased at such a dear price.

(2) When you vote, you earn the privilege of complaining if "the other guy" wins. Talk is cheap - it takes effort to vote.

(3) Many people have spent a lot of money to buy your vote. Disappoint them by voting your conscience.

(4) If enough people vote, more than likely, the "right choice" will be made.

(5) Civil participation breaks the back of violent confrontation, disruptive behavior, and corruption.

(6) Many special interest groups would prefer you did not vote. Be contrary and upset their plans.

(7) Voting costs money, and you are paying for it. If you do not vote, your money will be wasted.