The past few elections have taught us an important lesson: elections can be won or lost by just a few votes.

It is election time again and there is a lot at stake for American businesses and their employees. We've embarked on a groundbreaking bi-partisan political program with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called www.IllinoisBusinessVotes.com. This program will enable us to educate and mobilize the business community, ultimately making a difference in key federal and state races.

We encourage you to do all you can to participate in this year's elections. Voting is a sacred right that many of us take for granted. Billions of people throughout the world cannot cast a meaningful ballot … but we can and should.

To learn more about where the candidates stand on key issues, please visit www.IllinoisBusinessVotes.com. Your vote will make the difference in helping to elect officials that are responsive to your needs.