Tomorrow, April 9 is the last day for Ohioans to register to vote in time to participate in the state primary elections.
Ohio: Register, or confirm your registration at https://www.hrc.org/resources/register-to-vote
The most obvious reason to exercise your right to vote:
and some additional considerations:
Registering to vote is about more than choosing a presidential candidate. It’s not even (entirely) about winning. It’s about showing up as a member of your neighborhood, a keeper of your values, a representative of your groups. It’s about considering the young people in your communities, and other individuals who can’t vote. Speaking of young people: if you’re 17 but will be 18 before the next general election, you can also vote in primary elections. Some day you might even want to sign a petition and you gotta be registered to vote in the right place just to have your signature counted.
It’s not just felons whose access to voting is limited. In 2016 I witnessed an admitted hospital patient trying to cast her vote for the presidential election. A process for this circumstance did exist and, on paper, it enabled her to vote from her bed. But in practice, she was disfranchised–a ballot never arrived to her room. Time and time again we see evidence that it is the most vulnerable people who have the most restrictions on advocating for themselves, and elections are no exception.
There are many ways we can be better voters, and ways we can advocate for a more effective system. But making sure you, your neighbors, family and friends are registered on time is an important, and sustainable first step!
And guess what: most states have online voter registration.
Here’s how to register to vote:
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