RestaurantsVote.com is just one part of Mission '08, the NRA's program designed to register voters and rally the restaurant community for the upcoming presidential and congressional elections. We'll need all the voters we can muster come November to ensure that the next President of the United States knows what issues are most important to our restaurant industry, and that we elect members of Congress who can best represent our needs.

In 2006, only about half of America's registered voters actually voted... and about one out of five of those who didn't said they were simply too busy to get to their polling place. Yet as we have seen in the past few election cycles, many elections are determined by just a few votes. So it's crucial that you, your co-workers and your family members register to vote in your community, learn about the candidates, and cast your ballot this year for the candidates of your choice.

As candidates tour the country spreading their messages, the National Restaurant Association will be there as a resource to help politically-active members of the restaurant industry make sense of it all. RestaurantsVote.com is your one-stop-shopping location for all the information you need throughout the election season.

Please participate in this year's elections. At stake is the White House, the make-up of Congress, leadership of many states, and representation in state legislatures around the country. While many citizens around the world do not have access to a meaningful ballot, we do - and it's crucial our votes are heard.

Thanks for taking the time to get involved.

Dawn Sweeney President and Chief Executive Officer