OOIDA is determined to get more truckers to pull the lever, make a checkmark or punch that chad this Election Day.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association this week launched TruckVote, an initiative focused on providing truckers with information on how to register to vote over the Web, early voting, absentee ballots and deadlines for registering in all 50 states. OOIDA also plans to post results of interviews and surveys with political candidates about their positions on trucking and highway safety issues.

Land Line's October issue will include information on the two major presidential candidates, as well as information on how to register, how to vote by absentee ballot, and for new or rusty voters a quick review of voting basics.

In addition, the initiative is being promoted through a new Web site, www.truckvote.com, and its regular Web sites, www.ooida.com and www.landlinemag.com.

Using technology by Votenet Solutions, the www.truckvote.com Web site helps truckers with registering to vote, contains information on absentee ballots, upcoming election dates and useful election links.

Those truckers who do not have Web access - or those who have questions or need assistance - can call the OOIDA Membership Department at 1-800-444-5791, Ext. 4906.

Why vote?

Although a poll of the membership shows that the majority of OOIDA members do take part in elections, the association has made it a goal to increase the number of truckers who register to vote and who make it to the ballot box.

"We are committed to reversing the perception out there that truckers don't vote," Todd Spencer, executive vice president of OOIDA, said.

"Truckers have the potential to become a far stronger voice in the political process. Making sure that truckers and their families register and vote regularly in increasing numbers puts lawmakers on notice that we expect our positions on trucking issues to be given serious consideration."

Spencer says the lifestyle of the professional trucker can often make voting a difficult exercise, and one for which a bit of early planning is sometimes needed. When out on the road, truckers must make sure that casting their votes via absentee ballot is arranged far enough in advance to meet the deadlines of their home states.

"Well over one-third of voting truckers cast their votes either through early voting or absentee ballot," Spencer said. "Our communication mechanisms for TruckVote, including the www.truckvote.com site, are gearing up to provide instructions and relevant deadline information to assist truckers in casting their votes."

According to the Federal Election Commission, barely half of the roughly 200 million Americans who are eligible to vote actually do vote. Spencer points out that, as a group, the estimated 3 million American truckers would be a significant political presence that would be hard to ignore if truckers wielded their voting clout in greater numbers.

How the site works

Once a trucker goes to the TruckVote.com Web site, he will see two boxes in the center of the page. One asks for his home state, one for his ZIP code.

If you choose to enter your ZIP code, that brings you to specific information about your state.

Depending on what state you enter, you either will be directed to another Web site or you will be linked to a series of questions you must answer to register.

For example, if you type in Alabama on the front page of TruckVote.com, it brings you to a page with the registration deadline and next election date for that state. It also provides a series of questions that you need to answer to register, including whether you have voted before or not, whether you are an Alabama resident and whether you have been convicted of any felonies.

When you click on the correct answers to those questions and then clicking on the blue "Continue" box at the bottom, it brings you to an online registration form. That page also contains a voter registration hotline number you can call with questions.

For Missouri, the site tells truckers that "Missouri requires voter registrations to be a certain format and printed on a thicker type of paper than that used by regular printers, voter registrations cannot be completed online, or from a registration form printed from the Internet."

It then gives you a link to the Missouri Secretary of State page, which contains an online form to request a voter registration form, as well as registration deadline information. That page also contains a link - in a gray box just under the registration deadline - that can link truckers to their local election boards. At the top of that page, click on the first letter of your county's name, and then, once that page loads, on your county's name. That will bring you to your local election board.

Other helpful sections of TruckVote.com

On the right hand side of the TruckVote.com site, there is another link called "Election Dates." That link brings you to a similar page, where you can enter your state or ZIP code.

When you choose a state and then click on "Continue," the page will give you a list of upcoming election dates and tell you whether early voting is offered or when you can vote absentee and under what circumstances.

A second link on the right side brings you to "Absentee Ballots." Once again, on that page, you are asked to enter a ZIP code or state. Depending on what state you enter, you will be give a link to a state Web site, or to a series of questions and then an online form. Most states that use the online form will require you to click a box indicating your reason for voting absentee; however, there are some that allow you to vote absentee for any reason.

On the left side of the TruckVote.com home page, there are several OOIDA related links as well: