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If you aren’t registered to vote, the time to act is now

Thu., Oct. 6, 2016

The following editorial from the Yakima Herald-Republic does not necessarily reflect the view of The Spokesman-Review’s editorial board.

The seemingly endless election of 2016 will indeed conclude five weeks from today, when voters will render a judgment as to who will lead our country for the next four years. The unconventional presidential campaign has drawn intense interest; the Sept. 26 debate between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton attracted the sort of viewership that rivals the Super Bowl.

By now, most people have taken the requisite first step toward participating in our democracy, which is registering to vote. But there may be some folks who haven’t gotten around to it, or who have moved here and haven’t changed their registration. If they want to vote, an important date is approaching.

The state has set a deadline of Oct. 10 for online and mail-in registrations, or for address changes. That date, next Monday, is a federal holiday, so those using the mail should send in the information by the end of the week to ensure that they meet the deadline.

The Washington secretary of state’s office says those registering will need a current Washington state driver’s license or a current state identification card. Those registering must affirm that they are citizens of the United States and will be at least 18 years old on or before Nov. 8; they also must not be under state Department of Corrections supervision for a felony conviction or not disqualified from voting due to court order.

Providing false information is a felony that is punishable by fine or prison or both.

Those who miss next week’s deadline still have recourse: They may register in person on or before Oct. 31 at their respective county courthouses.

One aspect that is easy to overlook, given how the presidential race has vacuumed all the 2016 electoral oxygen, is that many critical offices also will be decided this year.

Locally, voters will weigh in on races for the U.S. Senate, Congress, nine statewide offices, three state Supreme Court justices and a handful of state ballot initiatives, legislative seats and county-level seats.

If you want to have a say and haven’t registered yet, the time to act is now.

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