Secretary of State
Kentuckians can 'Vote in Honor of a Veteran'

Frankfort, KY -- Thousands of Kentuckians will be “voting in honor of a veteran” this spring, and there is still time for individuals to sign up to participate in the program before the May 17, 2011 primary election.  The Vote in Honor of a Veteran program is an initiative sponsored by the Office of Secretary of State Elaine Walker.
 

“As the wife and daughter of veterans, I am especially proud to sponsor this program for veterans and their loved ones who deserve this honor and recognition,” remarked Secretary of State Elaine Walker.  “Their sacrifice protects our democratic process.  While we can never truly repay them for their efforts, voting is an important tribute to their service for our country.”
 

The initiative, is designed to increase voter participation by honoring the service of America’s military men and women, has two main components.  The first features personalized buttons that citizens can wear on Election Day to honor their favorite veterans.  Buttons can be acquired at most County Clerk’s offices, or citizens may submit an online request to the Secretary of State’s website by visiting sos.ky.gov/veterans.  The Vote in Honor of a Veteran buttons have been tremendously popular with citizens, election officials, and veterans alike.  To date, over 145,000 buttons have been distributed.

The second component of the program allows individuals to honor veterans by visiting the tribute gallery where visitors can read stories and tributes from the friends and families who have elected to honor their loved ones through the simple act of voting.  Citizens can submit written tributes about the individuals they are honoring with their vote.  Selected tributes will be posted in the online testimony gallery or collected for the archives of the Kentucky Historical Society.

Secretary Walker is hopeful that the program will draw more attention to the upcoming primary election.  “We are hearing from a number of clerks and participants in the program that individuals stop and ask them about the buttons.  It is a great opportunity to remind citizens to vote on May 17, 2011.”

For more information about the new program, to order a personalized button, or to leave a tribute to a veteran, please visit: www.sos.ky.gov/veterans.
 

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