Jay Lakin Wants You To Register To Vote

Special Guest Column by Jay Lakin / Co-Owner & Vice President of PokerSourceOnline.com

If you live in the United States and are a legal resident, registering to vote for the upcoming general elections in November is an absolute must. Mark your calendar down for Tuesday, November 4. On that day, you’ll make your way to the polls in order to exercise the right given to you as an American citizen. Yes, it might sound a little bit hokey, but it’s true.

The online poker industry is in a state of flux right now. Ever since former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist rammed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act down our throats in 2006, the industry has relied upon U.S. lawmakers to resurrect it. Shortly, one-third of the U.S. Senate and the entire House of Representatives will be up for grabs. Don’t let yourself be disenfranchised. Register to vote.

I’m not even going to tell you which party to vote for. Whether you support Barack Obama or John McCain is irrelevant. Whether you agree with the war in Iraq doesn’t matter. Whether you’re for or against abortion, tax breaks for businesses, or gun control makes absolutely no difference whatsoever. All I want you to remember are three simple words: “Register to vote.”

How do you register to vote, you ask? It’s easy. Go to www.poker2008.org. It’s the voter registration site run by the online poker industry’s main lobbying group, the Poker Players Alliance. All you have to do is click on your state, enter some information like your name and address, and then print a form out to be mailed in. You’ll be done before you can say “All in, baby” like Scotty Nguyen.

The amount of time needed to process a voter registration form varies by state. Therefore, the deadline to submit it is different everywhere. For example, applicants in Michigan must postmark their registrations by October 6. In seven states (Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming), voters can actually register on Election Day. So make sure to check out www.poker2008.org to see what the guideline is for your state.

So why is it important to register to vote? If you don’t register, you don’t matter in the political process. You’re merely a fly on the wall. You were never a part of determining the outcome. 2009 will be a critical year for online poker, and you’ll be sitting idly by.

As it currently stands, there are several online poker bills in Congress proposed by some of the top U.S. lawmakers. Democrat Barney Frank has introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, which sets up an entire structure for legalized online gambling in the United States. Democrat Robert Wexler has introduced the Skill Game Protection Act, which lets online poker off the hook legally. Even Republican lawmaker Pete Sessions has introduced legislation that declares sports books (and sports books only) illegal under the UIGEA. In order for any of them to be acted on, poker players must get registered to vote and raise their voices publicly by letting their Congressmen know that these issues matter.

Poker players are a notoriously apathetic group. I’m not trying to ruffle your feathers, but it’s true. They’d prefer to stay home and play the $100 re-buy on PokerStars rather than exercise their opinion at the polls. Many have never called their two Senators and one Representative, and I’d wager that some could not name any lawmaker who represents them.

However, by registering to vote, you’re taking the first step toward becoming politically relevant. Even if you dislike Barney Frank, Robert Wexler, and Pete Sessions, make yourself heard rather than let others determine your own future.

Visit www.poker2008.org today.