Letter to the Editor: 

Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day. Voting allows qualified citizens to have a say in who will represent them in local, state, and federal elections. Too many Americans cannot vote because they have not registered or kept their registration information current.

Voter registration is the first step. The League of Women Voters established National Voter Registration Day in 2012. It celebrates our democracy and promotes free and fair voter registration.

A person must be 18 years old by Election Day to register. Once registered, voters must keep their information current. If people move or change names, they must update that information.

This can be done online at VOTE411.org or scvotes.gov and in person at the Department of Motor Vehicles. A person also can update this information at a local voter registration drive; by downloading a form at scvotes.gov, printing it, filling it out and mailing it in; or by going in person to the county voter registration office.

Convicted felons who have completed their sentence and parole, and made restitution may reapply for voter registration. People convicted of misdemeanors can vote so long as they are not in jail on Election Day.

College students may register to vote in South Carolina by using their dorm address as their physical residence. If they do so, they cannot vote in their home state.

More questions can be answered by going to VOTE411.org and scvotes.org. Questions also may be directed to the county voter registration office where one lives.

The registration deadline for the Nov. 2 general election is Oct. 3.

People live by the government they elect. Local elections give us people who make the rules and regulations of the areas where we live. Whether selecting candidates for city council election, school board or as mayor, your vote has direct consequences on our daily lives. Every election is important.

On Tuesday, this year’s National Voter Registration Day, register to vote or check your voter information to be sure it is current and encourage others to do the same.