Exercise your right, register by Oct. 22
Fall midterm elections are approaching at the same pace that chaos is erupting in Washington so much so that people’s faith in politics and democracy is withering away. This should be all the more reason to vote.
The last day to register to vote online or send in a mail-in registration in California is Monday, Oct. 22. A paper application is also available at the Yolo County elections office, any DMV field office and many post offices, public libraries and government offices. If you miss this pertinent deadline, you can conditionally register to vote using a paper application and cast a provisional ballot on Election Day, which will be validated once your eligibility to register is determined.
To check your registration online, go to voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. On this page, you can also check where you are registered to vote, and your political party and language preference for election materials as well as the status of your vote-by-mail or provisional ballot. You may also find your polling place on this site. It’s important to check your registration and follow up with officials at your local county elections office if you detect anything is peculiar or amiss, especially in the face of the thousands of erroneous registrations recently disclosed by the DMV. It’s equally important to note that, if you’re currently registered in your hometown, you need to send a mail-in ballot or re-register in order to vote at polling places in Davis.
But more than just proper registration is needed to induce real action. The last day to cast your vote is Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Voter turnout among the college student population has historically been 10 percent lower than the national average, an unfortunate and regrettable statistic that students could pay for in the form of higher tuition, less student aid and job insecurity upon graduating. While voting only takes a few minutes, these obstacles related to higher education can have long-lasting impacts on college admission rates and students’ futures.
The importance of informed voting and choosing candidates who represent your belief system and enact change in the House of Representatives, Senate and the governor’s office cannot be overstated in these tumultuous times. By exercising your right to vote, you can weigh in on pervasive issues that are at the forefront of everyone’s minds: women’s rights, education, gun reform, immigration and healthcare. Critical decisions such as the recent confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court by a slim margin of 50 to 48 has both renewed vigor in voters and revealed the impact of a single vote. Those who have been disappointed by the route that the country has taken have a chance to convert that disappointment into influence by voting.
The Editorial Board urges voters to make their voices heard at the crossroads of American politics and get themselves to the polls on Election Day.
Written by: The Editorial Board
