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How to Register to Vote in the 2016 Presidential Election

COUNTDOWN

Although the election is still a month away, the deadlines to vote in many states are coming up quickly.

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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)

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