One vote: It is the ultimate equalizer. It brings us all on the same playing field -- no matter where we live in Rhode Island, whatever our circumstances.

In 2004, 63 percent of eligible voters in Rhode Island went to the polls. That means about a third of eligible voters, including many who pay local and state taxes, declined to have a say in how our government should be run.

There are many reasons why people do not exercise their right to vote. As a candidate for Rhode Island secretary of state, I propose a plan to encourage stronger voter participation and involvement.

The Rhode Islanders I have met while campaigning throughout the state want to be informed voters. They have their concerns and want to know where the candidates stand on the issues most important to them. Right now, 37 states have their primary before Rhode Island does, in September. Rhode Island candidates who are successful in their primaries have only eight weeks to present reasons why voters should chose them, rather than their opponent, for the office they are seeking.

When we are choosing people to represent us for six years in the U.S. Senate, for four years in a general office, and for two years in the U.S. House, the General Assembly and on the local level -- the officials who oversee our tax base and school systems -- we should have more than eight weeks to learn each candidate's stance on the issues most important to us.

I propose that we move our primary date up to the second Tuesday in June, so that voters can become a truly educated electorate come November. Moving the date to June would also hold members of the General Assembly accountable during the legislative session.

In addition to changing the date of our primary election, I will ask our legislators to consider increasing public match dollars, so that committed, dedicated people of modest means can run viable campaigns for state general office.

An informed electorate is more likely to vote, but sometimes even the most committed voters are discouraged to see the long lines at the polls -- created, in part, by the delays of being properly signed in. My proposal addresses this in two ways.

Bar-coded identification cards have become quite common in many transactions, at the supermarket, video stores and libraries. I propose that Warwick -- the state's second-largest municipality -- become a pilot site for a new voter credential card. This card would be almost identical to the photo-identification card that library patrons in Warwick are now issued to take out books. In fact, if you put the voter-registration form and Warwick Library Card registration form side by side, you will note that they are almost identical.

I intend to work with U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee and Congressman James Langevin to seek federal funding through HAVA (the Help America Vote Act) to buy the Central Voter Registration System compatible technology, so that every library branch in Warwick, along with the Board of Canvassers, has the equipment to issue voter credential cards. This would be a voluntary program that, once implemented, would let those voters with the credential card be processed quickly at the polls.

If the program proves to be successful in Warwick, then we will seek statewide implementation.

Another way to improve voter turnout is to expand the time frame in which votes may be cast. Sometimes even those with the best intentions to vote are not able to get to the polls during the hours on Election Tuesday. Again using Warwick as a pilot test site, I propose that voters be allowed to cast ballots on the Saturday and Monday before the general election in November, at designated polling sites.

The national trend for early voting had significant voter-participation increases in other states in the 2004 election, as reported in the National Annenberg Election Survey 2004. I would like to bring this same tool for accessibility to Rhode Island.

The secretary of state's office and the Board of Elections both have responsibility for elections. As secretary of state, I would build a better relationship between the two, to create a more seamless process for candidates, voters and the public. By having a designee of the secretary of state's office serve in a non-voting capacity on the Board of Elections, we could greatly increase the communication between the two offices responsible for voting in our state.

As Rhode Islanders, we're known for having strong opinions and for sharing them. Some think that the future of Rhode Island lies in a few powerful hands; I believe that it belongs to every person who casts a vote on Election Day. Let's work together to make our election process more efficient and accessible, and increase voter participation throughout the state.

Susan Stenhouse, who has served six years on the Warwick City Council, is the Republican candidate for Rhode Island secretary of state.