Friends, voting is easier than ever these days!

The first thing you need to know is that you must register to vote. Whoa. Hold on. Sit down and stay for a minute! It’s not that difficult. I can do this, and I only have eight toes!

Registration happens at the state and local level—right in your own backyard. Although some states might have different requirements than others, they’re all pretty much the same. It’s easy, like me chasing a taco truck blindfolded. Here are a few choices.

Registering Online

If you can get online, vote.gov is a great place to start. Online registration is currently offered in 43 states.

A. Tap the red banner and select your state from the list.
B. Once you found your state, click the big blue button “Registration or update registration.”
C. From your state’s registration website, fill out the form, then click “submit.”

Registering In-person

There are lots of ways to register in-person. You can sometimes do it on the same day you vote! But that’s not everywhere, so check to be sure.

Visit your nearest polling station, election office, town hall, or county court house. You can find a polling station close to you here.

A lot of places offer a ‘motor voter’, where people can register at their local department of motor vehicles. Online, you can find what you’ll need to bring with you. The attendants are there to help you every step of the way.

Registering from Outside the U.S.

If you’re a U.S citizen living, working, or studying abroad, or a member of the military stationed outside the country, go here and scroll down to find the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA). You can also request an absentee ballot with the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP).

Please, Don’t Wait to Register!

I know voting can be intimidating, but please, please don’t ignore or postpone it. My solution for this is the old ‘buddy system’. Grab a friend, relative, or partner to join you—or better yet, have a ‘Voter Registration’ party! Travel as a pack to help, support, and encourage one another.

It’s worth noting something crucial: voting is a privilege we shouldn’t take for granted. Fewer than half the people in the whole wide world can cast a truly meaningful vote—one free from manipulation and corruption. We can still have our votes count in this country. But if we don’t vote wisely in the coming years, we risk losing that privilege.

Finally, don’t be afraid. You’re registering with your state, not the federal government. If you complete the short form, you’ll be a voter and a proud participant in American democracy in no time.

Blue