As Americans, voting is one of the rights that we sometimes take for granted. Not everyone who registers to vote does and many of the people who are eligible to vote don’t even register.
Elections have just passed and only a small percentage of those eligible to vote and were registered went to the polls to voice their opinions. When people complain about political matters but then don’t take the initiative to vote, not much can be accomplished.
If you didn’t vote at this year’s elections, there are steps you can take to make sure your opinion is counted next time around.
First, if you are or are going to be 18 years of age by next election time, and are an American citizen, then you can vote.
The next step in becoming eligible to vote is registration. In order to register you must contact your county clerk and get the information for registration. Registration is important because when you register you are given your polling site information.
If you are from another state, you need to request an absentee ballot from your home state. You should do this as far in advance as possible. Your county clerk can also help you with this, and can tell you what the cut-off is for requesting ballots, since each state has different deadlines.
Finally, in order to vote, you must arrive at the polling site to which you were assigned and go through the polling process. If you requested an absentee ballot, just follow the directions in filling it out and send it back by the date indicated.
By following these steps, you can make sure to vote and have your opinion voiced in political matters. Make sure when the next election comes around you are prepared to vote and make a difference in how our country and homes are governed.
