Every year, dozens of celebrities post videos on facebook, reach out on social media, and record television PSAs urging people to get out to vote. This year, even President Obama got in on the action, teaming up with Buzzfeed to make a video showing “five things that are harder than registering to vote.”
And yet, every election year, Americans fail to get out to the polls.
What’s more, American voters have been found to “rank among some of the least active in the world, particularly among developed countries.” In 2012, out of the 241 million eligible voters only around 80 percent were registered to vote; in the actual election less than 67 percent of those registered cast a ballot.
Compare that to 68 percent in Canada and over 70 percent in Germany and 80 percent in France, according to data from the International Institute for Democracy and Election Assistance
The presidential election is the biggest opportunity for individuals to exercise their democratic rights. So why don’t people take advantage of it?
One of the biggest reasons is that Americans have a striking lack of confidence in the impact of voting.
According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center earlier this year, among voters who had learned about the election from at least one source, 36 percent felt that their vote had minimal or no impact.
But your vote does matter.
Here’s How to Register to Vote and Have Your Voice Heard:
Many websites have made it easier than ever to register to vote. Vote.org provides an easy form that can be completed in less than three minutes and also provides resources to check your registration status or get an absentee ballot.
RockTheVote.com, targeted mainly towards younger people, provides many of the same resources along with useful election information about the candidates and the issues. There are also useful guidelines for college students.
Registration Deadlines:
The Daily Beast has also compiled a schedule of the last days to register to vote in every state– highlighting swing states, which will play a crucial role in the 2016 election.
Swing States
Colorado- October 31st (November 8th in person)
Florida- October 19th
Iowa- October 29th
Michigan- October 11th
Nevada- October 18th
New Hampshire- October 29th (November 8th in person)
North Carolina- October 14th (November 5th in person)
Ohio- October 11th
Pennsylvania- October 11th
Virginia- October 17th
Wisconsin- October 19th (November 8th in person)
Registration Deadlines in all 50 States:
Alabama- October 24th
Alaska- October 9th
Arizona- October 10th
Arkansas- October 10th
California- October 24th
Colorado- October 31st (November 8th in person)
Connecticut- November 1st (November 8th in person)
Washington, DC- October 11th (November 8th in person)
Delaware- October 15th
Florida- October 19th
Georgia- October 11th
Hawaii- October 10th
Idaho- October 14th (November 8th in person)
Illinois- October 12th (November 8th in person)
Indiana- October 11th
Iowa- October 29th
Kansas- October 18th
Kentucky- October 11th
Louisiana- October 11th
Maine- October 18th (November 8th in person)
Maryland- October 18th
Massachusetts- October 19th
Michigan- October 11th
Minnesota- October 18th (November 8th in person)
Mississippi- October 8th
Missouri- October 12th
Montana- October 11th (November 8th in person)
Nebraska- October 21nd
Nevada- October 18th
New Hampshire- October 29th (November 8th in person)
New Jersey- October 18th
New Mexico- October 11th
New York- October 14th
North Carolina- October 14th
North Dakota- registration not required
Ohio- October 11th
Oklahoma- October 14th
Oregon- October 18th
Pennsylvania- October 11th
Rhode Island- October 9th
South Carolina- October 9th
South Dakota- October 24th
Tennessee- October 11th
Texas- October 11th
Utah- November 1st
Vermont- November 2nd
Virginia- October 17th
Washington- October 10th
West Virginia- October 18th
Wisconsin- October 19th (November 8th in person)
Wyoming- October 25th (November 8th in person)
