It’s nearly October, and we know what that means: fall is here and the deadline to register to vote is near.
Frequent readers of newspapers know there's an election coming up.
Infrequent readers of the newspaper probably know, too.
Folks who spend time scrolling through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other social media services have probably noticed an uptick in political comments since, oh, more than a year ago.
Kids from 5 years old to voting age know the only president many of them have ever witnessed is about to step down, and they have an idea that someone named Clinton and someone named Trump are competing against for the chance to live and work in the White House.
The question is this: Are there people who don't realize American voters will go to the polls on Nov. 8 to elect a president and to make a slew of other choices further down the ballot? Would it be politically incorrect, or even impolite, to suggest anyone who doesn't know what's coming up Nov. 8 isn't necessarily someone the nation needs to make its decision?
Oct. 8 is, in actuality, the most critically important date on the election calendar as far as unregistered voters go. Miss that deadline and it doesn't matter how strongly one feels about a candidate or an issue, he'll be sitting out November 2016. If someone is eligible to vote and haven't cared enough to register, election commissioners shouldn't feel bad about it. Some voting rights advocates talk a lot about disenfranchised voters, but the biggest barrier for some people exercising their right and responsibility as voters is themselves.
Voting isn't rocket science. It requires a person motivated to take an active role in his community, state and nation. Can there be problems here and there? Yes, but those can be worked out by registering to vote before the deadline, evaluating poll locations and making a plan to be prepared, to learn more about the candidates up and down the ballot, and determine the most convenient polling place.
Taking part in representative government requires work, or at least it does if one is to do it well. Whether one is a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, Libertarian or none of the above, the best method to ensure each vote counts is preparedness.
