Voting is an essential part of our democracy, and it’s especially something you should be looking forward to doing this year, as we have important elections on April 28th and November 3rd.  We elect representatives to enact laws on our behalf, and the only way to voice who represents you is to cast a ballot. Also, many issues come up on the ballot that you are allowed to directly vote on, like the freedom to marry, how much you pay in taxes, where the government puts a landfill or builds a stadium, and much more.   

The Democrats and Republicans’ Clubs are working together to give students who have turned 18 already or are turning 18 before April 28th the opportunity to register to vote. The Thursday Knight Time on the 27th of February will be allocated to the voter registration drive. The first portion of the KT will be a live broadcast giving instructions on how to register, and the rest of KT will be time given for eligible students (18 currently or before April 28th), the time to register via electronic forms (or paper, if you prefer). 

In order to register on the 27th of this month you will need your home address and an ID number – either a current and valid driver’s license or your social security number, if you don’t have the former. And also, if I haven’t mentioned it enough, even if you aren’t 18 currently, you can still register to vote as long as you turn 18 BEFORE April 28th. 

This should go without saying, but you can’t vote if you don’t register, and most states have voter registration deadlines that occur long before Election Day. So even if you haven’t decided for whom you’re voting, or even if you’re voting, you should register now so you will be able to vote on Election Day.