Register to vote

One of the more disturbing elements of the election last week was that roughly half of the eligible voters in the US didn't vote.  There are several possibilities for this.  There could have been long lines or people were unable to take the time to go vote.  That's a problem that needs addressed.

Probably a bigger reason many people didn't vote is the feeling that the Republicans and Democrats just don't care for them.  There are two answers for this.  The first is that there are other parties than the Republicans and Democrats.  Are you saying that none of the dozens of other parties in the US share your goals or values?  But the other, more practical, answer is that why would a candidate come out in support of the ideals of Group X if Group X won't vote?  The way to get politicians to listen to you is to start voting.

Now there are registration drives every election year, but why wait?  If you're just turning eighteen, or never bothered to register before, or are unsure if you're registered, do it now and beat the rush.  There are places like RegistertoVote.org and the League of Women Voters that can help you register.  Or, if you’re uneasy using a third party website, you can also use your state website, which is usually your state name.gov.

Registering to vote is the necessary first step to voting, which is the necessary first step to having a democracy.