Exercise your rights – vote in this year’s election

Want to make your voice heard, then vote. That’s what politicians across the country and here in Winston-Salem are hoping everyone will do on Election Day this year. In North Carolina, anyone interested in voting Nov. 2 must register at least 25 days before the election date, which means Oct. 8 is the deadline. Applications can also be found at the Board of Elections office at 201 North Chestnut St., and you must be a U.S. citizen by birth or law, and you must be 18 years of age. There are two ways that a voter can vote, either as an absentee voter or by going to a polling station. Absentee voting is the best route for students who want to vote early or to maintain their voting rights in the county and city in which they reside while not in school. Early voting in North Carolina takes place between Oct. 14-30. Students are requested to contact election offices at (919) 733-7173 to get complete information about early voting. Polling is a simple process: You check in at the precinct designated for your residence, and you wait to enter a polling booth. The closest site to Winston-Salem State University is the Anderson Center on campus. If you don’t live on campus, the closest precinct to your residence can be found at www.JustVote.org under “Polling booth locations” or the Winston-Salem Board of Elections Web site under the “Precinct information” option. If you’re registered to vote and want to know how to vote, but don’t know your voting status, you should have your registration card ready, and then go to the www.co.forsyth.nc.us/elections/ voter. Enter your information and it will search for your voter registration information.