A few weeks ago, on Sept. 20, it was National Voter Registration Day. And though I am a bit late to the conversation, it is always important to encourage all people to not only register to vote, but to take part in elections.
I registered to vote as a senior in high school. All seniors, regardless whether we were 18 or not, filled out the form in government class. Then on my 18th birthday, a little postcard came in the mail with my official voter registration card. It was really that easy.
One thing I will never understand is those who choose not to even register to vote. It is one thing to not vote in an election, I have done it a few times for local elections when I did not know enough about the candidates to make a decision, but to not even have the option seems silly.
To say that you are not involved or interested in politics is simply not true for most people who claim such. Politics and government impact every single aspect of our lives and without voting, we would have no say in the policies that run our society.
If you do not vote, I firmly believe that you are in no position to complain about what is happening in government. You have the chance to use your voice, but if you abstain, you have little ground to stand on when you are upset about policy changes or what your representative is saying.
In New York, like I previously said, it is extremely easy to register to vote. It is available online or in-person and takes less than 10 minutes. Vote Oswego, an on-campus grassroots organization dedicated to registering students to vote, held events throughout the week of National Voter Registration Day that included a QR code that linked students directly to a registration page. If you have a phone and a few spare minutes, there is no reason why you should not register.
In order to qualify to register to vote in New York, you must be a U.S. citizen, be a resident of the state, city or village for at least 30 days before election day, be 18 years old, not be in prison for a felony conviction, not be judged metally imcompetent by a court of competent judicial authority and must not claim the right to vote elsewhere, according to howto.vote.
The deadline to register to vote before this year’s elections is Oct. 14, both online and in-person for New York. Absentee ballots can be requested through Oct. 24 and must be postmarked Nov. 8, so there is still plenty of time to get involved this election season.
I do not consider myself an exceptionally patriotic person, but I think that voting is one of the most patriotic activities we have the right to. The U.S. is known for breaking away from the monarchy of the English and founding our government on democracy, which only exists if we, the people, keep participating in it and allowing it to function.
How will those in power know what the citizens want if we do not vote? How will we keep the balance of power and have our voices heard if we do not vote? There is no time like the present, if you are not registered to vote, go register.
For New York residents, go to voterreg.dmv.ny.gov before Oct. 14 to guarantee your voice is heard this election season.
