The AMA Urges Riders to 'Vote Like a Motorcyclist'

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- With the Nov. 6 General Election just around the corner, the American Motorcyclist Association is reminding motorcyclists to research where candidates stand on motorcycle-related issues and "Vote Like a Motorcyclist."

The AMA is a non-partisan organization and doesn't make political endorsements. But the national association encourages riders to cast their ballots based on candidates' positions on motorcycling-related issues as well as other issues of importance to them.

The AMA provides tools to help its members make informed choices on Election Day and offers tips for getting involved in campaigns.

AMA members can easily find out where candidates stand on motorcycling-related issues by reading the 2012 AMA Voter Guide. The online tool is an exclusive benefit of AMA membership and is available at http://americanmotorcyclist.com/votelikeamotorcyclist.

Motorcycle-only checkpoints, restricted recreational access to public land and health insurance discrimination against motorcyclists are just some of the issues used to rate federal congressional and state gubernatorial candidates in the 2012 AMA Voter Guide.

"The 2012 AMA Voter Guide gives AMA members important information about political candidates," said Wayne Allard, a former U.S. representative and U.S. senator from Colorado who now serves as the AMA vice president for government relations. "The guide includes a rating for every federal and gubernatorial candidate of the major political parties who returned an AMA questionnaire.

"The rating shows how closely the candidates' answers align with AMA positions," Allard said. "The 2012 AMA Voter Guide also features scorecards for federal incumbents seeking re-election that shows how closely their voting records and other actions match the positions held by the AMA."

Voting and getting involved politically are important because the results of Election Day lay the foundation for legislation and laws, Allard added. If anti-motorcycling candidates earn elected office, then they could legislate away opportunities to ride, cut back or eliminate funding for rider safety training, or even wipe out other programs that motorcyclists have spent years working to implement.