The Idea   

The ability to vote is the most prized of our Constitutional rights. The power of a democracy is vested in the people and exercised directly by them. Because it is our fundamental right as an American, and the most basic means by which we have a voice in how our government works, we participate in a process that determines who will represent us, our family, and our country. During the country’s stay in Iraq, we worked towards helping their country achieve the same level of democracy that we have here. During their first national election, an estimated 70% of the Iraqi people voted. Regardless of the violence—from car bombings to manslaughter—the Iraqi people embraced a right that they had long been hoping for. It is depressing to know that in the 2004 election, only between 50 and 55% of all Americans actually voted. How can we honestly attempt imposing democracy in distant countries when we aren’t taking advantage of it right here?
Run to Vote plans to make an impact. We want to reach out and raise awareness of the importance of voting. As teenagers, this may be our only opportunity to influence the 2008 election, which could perhaps be the most important election of our lifetime. Between immigration, the war in Iraq, health care, the economy, gay marriages, and many more controversial issues, the 2008 election will prove to be a crucial turning point in the history of our country. What better way of making an impact than registering thousands of people to vote so that they, too, can be a part of this significant moment?  
Granville Central High School is a brand new school that just opened in August of 2007. The idea of Run to Vote was introduced by Jonathan Williams and Diane Hineline, two teachers at Granville Central, with a vision and purpose of uniting the newly formed school community and creating a positive and innovative school climate. As educators, it is their duty to emulate the behavior they expect their students to practice. They teach us about the importance of influencing public policy and how to be responsible citizens. Through Run to Vote, we, the students, will get the opportunity to experience everything we’ve been taught. With the guidance of Mr. Williams and Mrs. Hineline, we can make a difference.
It is our goal to influence the 2008 election and future elections yet to come. But why limit the experience to just elections? It would be phenomenal if we could continue influencing public policy. We can show the country what a group of “kids” from a small town can really do, and hopefully be an inspiration to many.

What is Run to Vote?
It is a Nonpartisan Voting Drive led by students and teachers from Granville Central High School in Stem, North Carolina. The Run to Vote team will travel through the 48 continental states to register people to vote, have them pledge to vote and/or inform the public about the candidates for the 2008 election.
For every person that registers to vote or pledges to vote, one of the teachers, Mr. Williams or someone in the team’s running group, will run the equivalent lap on a track. For example, if 20 people are signed up to vote on the first day, Mr. Williams will run 5 miles since a lap on the track equals ¼ of a mile.
We have a predetermined route (see route page) and we will drive from point A to point B each day. There will be two teams: the running team and the voter registration team. Team Vote will go to predetermined areas and sign people up to vote, have them pledge to vote and/or give out information about the candidates. Team Run will tally up the votes from the previous day and do the running.