Today is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 5 election.

Sara Rubin here, happily adding to my sticker collection—I’m psyched that vote-by-mail ballots are now accompanied by an “I Voted” sticker. 

I am motivated by stickers, but I am more motivated by elections as opportunities to participate directly in the government system. From a local school bond to a fireworks ban to my representative in the United States Congress to the president of the United States of America, there’s so much of great consequence on my Nov. 5 ballot. This is my chance to cast a vote for what matters to me. 

I am persistently disappointed in voter turnout, even in presidential elections, which tend to increase participation. I am even more disappointed in voter registration statistics. As of Sept. 6, the last time the California Secretary of State updated this data, only 83.4 percent of eligible voters in Monterey County were registered to vote. This means 16.6 percent of United States citizens ages 18 and over in our county have not registered to vote. 

(This is a little better than California overall, where 82.9 percent of eligible voters are registered to vote.) 

This represents a significant increase compared to 20 years ago, when just 70 percent of eligible voters were registered. But it’s still well below where it should be, given the ease of registering. Registering to vote does not obligate you to vote (see my note about chronically low turnout above). It does not mean you need to make a selection in every issue on your ballot. It does not require you to join a political party. It simply empowers you to vote in any elections if you wish to. 

I’m thinking about this today because tonight at midnight is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5 election. It’s fast and easy (and free) to register online. If you miss the deadline, you can still register to cast a conditional provisional ballot on Election Day. 

Citizenship comes with various responsibilities (like serving on a jury) and rights (like traveling with a U.S. passport, and running for elected office). One of the most elemental rights is voting.

I sometimes hear from people that they don’t vote because they don’t know the issues, or they don’t believe their vote will make a difference. Given how many times we’ve seen elections come down to just a handful of ballots, it’s clear to me that every vote truly does count. And if you think elected officials aren’t paying attention to you, isn’t the best way to get their attention to vote them out?

Are you registered to vote? If you’re not registered to vote, why not—and what would make you reconsider?