Dear Ann Landers,
t is alarming and frightening that increasingly fewer eligible voters exercise their right to vote or pay attention to the issues or who is running for office. How many times have we heard someone say, "My one vote won't matter, so I just didn't bother"? For several years I was an election judge supervisor at one of the precincts in our city. The following was copied from a page in The Election Judge's Manual. Since your column is nationally syndicated, perhaps it will be read by many people who will finally realize how important one vote can be. If our right to vote in a free election were ever taken away, there would be utter chaos. Please, Ann, get behind this. How Important Is One Vote? In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England. In 1649, one vote caused Charles I of England to be executed. In 1868, one vote saved President Andrew Johnson from impeach-ment. In 1875, one vote changed France from a monarchy to a republic. The Best he A n I a m ii e ii s I 243 In 1876, one vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency of the U.S. In 1923, one vote gave Adolf Hitler leadership in the Nazi Party. In 1941, one vote saved Selective Service-just weeks before Pearl Harbor was attacked. -From Missouri

Dear Missouri,
Thanks for bringing home a vital message in a most dramatic way. I hope every one of my readers will remember this col-umn when it comes time to vote. Bear in mind, your vote might be the one that makes the difference.