In less than two months, one of the biggest elections will take place—the 2016 United States presidential election, as this election marks the first presidential election for many students on campus. As a student and citizen of the United States, voting is a civil obligation. It’s your chance to make a difference for your country; opportunities like these do not come around often, so take advantage of it while you can.

Additionally, the ability to vote is a privilege. The United States is a distinguished democratic republic that allows you to vote; citizens of many other countries cannot say the same.

In terms of the candidates running, many topics of interest that both parties have argued to change are immigration, education, and student loans. Millennials will be directly affected by these three topics and many more, making exercising your right to vote even more important.

The first step in ensuring you are prepared to vote on November 8 is registering to vote, either in your home state or the state of New York. Go online and search “register to vote [your state].” Follow the directions for filling out the form and sending it to the appropriate personnel.

If you have already registered to vote and would like to vote in your hometown, an Absentee Ballot Application must be filled out and delivered to your town clerk as soon as possible. To obtain this form search online for “absentee ballot [and your hometown].” Most towns will direct you to fill out the Absentee Ballot Application for your state. Be sure to follow the directions for where and how your town wants to receive this application.

November 8 will be here before you know it, so be prepared sooner rather than later.