In New York state, early voting begins Oct. 26. Mail-in voting started in the beginning of October. Tuesday, Nov. 5, is the formal Election Day. The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

We live in a democracy. Voting is the most important part of giving each citizen a voice. But the United States notoriously has one of the lowest percentages of citizens actually voting. True, 66% of registered voters in the U.S. voted in the 2020 election, but this was the highest percentage ever. Consider that this is two-thirds of registered voters. Many American citizens are not even registered.

What is holding the voters back? Access? Sometimes that is the case. As you can see above, you have over 30 days in which you can cast your ballot.

Want to register to vote? Go to vote.gov.

You can register or check if you are registered to vote.

Sometimes voting is just not part of what you do? Try it, you’ll like it!

Voting starts at home. Many parents start by bringing their children to the poles with them. From an early age, children are surprisingly interested.

Don’t know how to explain it to them? They’ll help guide you as to what they want to know. By three years old, they will not stop asking questions until they are satisfied. All you have to do is tell your child that the adults they know will be voting on a certain day. If you’re doing mail in voting, let them see the form and explain it to them. If it’s in person voting, show them a ballot ahead of time. You can get one from your county Board of Elections website or just look at the sample ballot posted before you go into the room where you actually vote. Then take your child into the booth with you.

Tip: If you choose to vote in person, vote early at the site in your county. That’s a better choice because there are likely to be shorter lines.

As a teacher for 30 years, I found that all you need is a short introduction as to what you want to show them. Their questions will be the guide as to what you need to tell them.

If you don’t vote you can’t complain about how your village, town, county, state and national governments are run. From the smallest local concern to our national state of affairs you do have input through your participation by voting.

Voting is how our democracy runs. Be a part of our democracy!

Sue Abbott-Jones

Saranac Lake