Time is running short to register to vote in this year’s election. The deadline to register to vote this year is 4 p.m., Oct. 7, according to the Calloway County Clerk’s office.
Registering to vote is easy. Here in Murray, go to the Calloway County Clerk’s office in the courthouse or online to GOVOTE.KY.GOV, a website that will walk you through the process. If you are a college student and a temporary resident of Calloway County, you can register with the clerk in your home county and vote there via absentee ballot. You can also register as a resident here. You will be welcomed. Just remember that, if you move back home and leave Calloway County, you will need to re-register or change your address.
It is illegal to be registered in more than one location.
Both major political parties have proclaimed this election to be a crucial one, at least on the national level. The term “existential” has been used as well to describe the belief that America will no longer exist as a free country if the other party wins the presidency.
Even if you don’t share that particular fear, there are local and state races throughout our nation that will determine what our new President will be able to accomplish.
Voting by young people can make the difference in the results of the presidential and Congressional elections and in many state elections in 2024, and that should matter a great deal to young voters since you will have to live longer with the results of these election than will us older folks.
It is really a bit weird, to use our new political word, that older people, who have less to fear from the “wrong” people winning the election, vote in far larger numbers than those in the age 18 to 34 population group. Young voters are a very diverse group, representing all educational levels, races, ethnicities, classes and religions. This group is also very large. There are 40 million potential voters between the ages 18 and 34 in the United States, easily enough to sway an election.
This fall, you can vote early on Oct. 31 (8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Nov. 1 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or November 2 (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at the Judge Executive’s Office Building at 201 S. 4th Str. in Murray.
On Election Day, Nov. 5, you can vote from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at any of eight voting centers in Calloway County:
The CFSB Center at Murray State
Elm Grove Baptist Church
North Elementary School
Kirksey Baptist Church
New Concord Church of Christ
Hazel Baptist Church
Southwest Elementary School
Murray High School
If you are a young person reading this, I hope you will register by Oct. 7 and vote on Nov. 5. If you are not 18-34 years of age, but know someone who is, clip this out, make copies and share with younger family and friends.