Elections come in cycles, and with those cycles comes the need to participate in one of the freest nations on the planet (well, that’s debatable). Nevertheless, getting registered to vote is a very important part of the civic process that we as citizens have. This is the beginning of some of the greatest power that we can have as individuals: the power to choose the dummies that will decide the fate of our nation. Sounds pretty bleak, huh? Don’t fret. By registering to vote, you can initiate the change that you want, the kind that you know will be best for our nation, the kind that will return America to its international splendor!.. whatever that may mean.
Registering to vote is really a fairly simple process, and unless you are a convicted felon or homeless, you should not throw away this valuable tool that you have as an American. If you ARE a convicted felon or homeless, you have bigger fish to fry, I’m afraid. Anyway, there are several different ways to register, depending on the access you have to a computer and printer, or a pen. First, you can go to http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_register.html and fill out the form, print it, and mail it to your local county registrar or to the Secretary of State for your given state. Or, you could contact one of these outlets and ask them to mail you one, in which case you would use traditional orthographic utensils and the Pony Express to accomplish your goal, which will certainly take longer for you to get registered. Of course, you could also deliver the finished document to the local registrar yourself, which would eliminate at least three days from your wait. In time, a voter ID card will arrive in the mail in a pretty envelope, signaling the legality of your future votes. You will have in your hand the power to rule the world!! Well, not exactly, but something close to it anyway.
One important point to mention is that there are deadlines for registering to vote in a certain election. In other words, you only have to register once, unless you want to change your voter information (like your address, your name, your party affiliate, your favorite superhero, etc). But, if you want to vote in an upcoming election, you need to find out when the latest day is that you can register and still be eligible to vote in that particular election. Each state is different, so don’t assume that what your out-of-state high school girlfriend told you is accurate. For instance, many states during this past presidential election had a deadline of October 6 while Vermont had a deadline as late as October 29. Just find out when your state deadline is. Once you get your voter registration card, you will be able to vote in any election that you desire, whether it’s the presidential election, the Congressional elections, or who should win American Idol. Just remember that this ability is one that we as Americans are united together by and influential with. After all, there are people in China starving….from a lack of political influence.
