The race is on.(Election 2004)

Today's magazine is all about Election 2004. On the cover of our magazine, you see the Yak with a special message on his shirt. The Yak always has believed that being a voter in the United States gives you an amazing power. You can't officially vote until you're 18, but you can get involved now. We even have a mock election ballot below and hope you'll vote. On Page 3, you can read about two young people who got involved this year.

Election 2004 is exciting for many reasons. The race between the major candidates, President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry, is expected to be close. We'll be covering more on the election in our October 21 and October 28 issues--and in daily columns of Yak's Corner, including publishing how young readers vote on the day of the real election, November 2. Read on! Yak the Vote!

ELECTION WORDS TO KNOW

Elections are a little bit like sports--there are winners, losers and a big race. Like most sports, politics has a language all its own.

* REGISTER: In every state, a person who wants to vote must sign up first. This is called registering. You must be 18 years old to register to vote.

* DUBYA, OR GEORGE DUBYA: That isn't another candidate, but a way people refer to President George W. Bush to separate him from his father, former President George Bush. Dubya reflects how you might pronounce his middle initial, W, especially in Texas, the home state of George W.

* INCUMBENT: A person who already holds an elected job in government. In this upcoming election, President Bush is the incumbent.