Voting is incredibly important. Taking part in elections and choosing from the different candidates is an opportunity for constituents to play an active role in the politics that affect them. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize until the Monday before Super Tuesday that they hadn’t registered to vote yet. This is why Chris Halajian wants to explain not just the importance of voting, but also how someone can register to vote.
Chris Halajian on Why Voting Matters
Voting matters because it is the only way for the people to have a voice. If you have problems with the way the police is handling drink driving incidents on a certain route, if there are issues with anti-social behavior on your estate, if you believe, as a resident of the town of Mattiuck or Southold for instance, that rubbish should no longer be collected on a Monday, then you need to get your local official on board. And this means they should be someone whom you can trust, hence someone you have helped gain their position.
How to Register to Vote
Before you register to vote, you have to understand that all the actions are run by the individual states. This means that each state also has their own rules in place on how elections work and how someone can register to vote. Hence, you must contact your local or state election office to find out what the rules are for you.
That said, there are a number of basic steps that are universal across the board. For instance, in every state in the country, with the exception of North Dakota, you must be registered if you want to vote. Secondly, absentee voting exists in every state. Last but not least, the majority of states assign voting locations or polling places to each of there voters. In some states, there are pallet drop sites instead.
In 37 states and the District of Columbia, you can register to vote online. This is generally the easiest way to do it, using the National Mail Voter Registration Form. The online websites that you can go to for this is vote.gov.
If you prefer to register in person, you can do so at your local estate election office. There are also a number of public facilities that accept voter registration. Those include state and county public assistance offices, army services recruitment centers, and the DMV.
Should you live overseas, for instance if you were service member, you will need to request an absentee ballot when you register to vote. This is organised through the federal voting assistance program. It effectively means that you enable someone else to vote on your behalf during your absence, thereby ensuring you do not lose your chance to have a voice.
It cannot be stressed enough how important it is that you register to vote. Without doing so, you will not be able to drive local politics and have a say in how these affect you. Should you have any questions on how to register or what it means to be registered, then there is a lot of help available to you, including through the vote.gov website. Make sure you use this to your advantage.
