One of the biggest excitements of turning 18 was knowing I’d get to vote in the upcoming presidential election. Between renewing my driver’s license and checking my financial aid status, it seemed like every platform wanted me to register to vote and, at the time, I mindlessly entered my information not knowing how the registration process actually worked. When my voter’s registration card came in the mail, I wasn’t sure if that meant I was cleared to vote or if there were steps I was missing because of how carelessly I filled out my forms. Fast forward to a few months ago. I was talking about voting with my friends and learned I could check my voter status online. As an anxious person, I wanted to double-check that I was truly able to vote to make sure I’d be prepared for Election Day. With a simple input of my driver’s license number, I was thrilled to find out that I did, in fact, successfully register.  

While it’s too late to register to vote in the 2024 presidential election, you can still check your voter’s registration status at Texas.gov. Even if you aren’t sure of your registration status, it’s still worthwhile to check, especially if you’re like me and aren’t sure if you registered while renewing your license. Don’t be discouraged if you know you can’t vote this November. There are many opportunities in the future to vote in local elections, like for city government or school board positions. Any contribution to our democracy makes a massive impact, especially if you can rally your friends to vote with you. Many young people don’t realize that most older populations take voting seriously and vote in even the smallest, most local elections. They almost count on young people to not understand the importance of their vote, meaning that the political views of younger populations are underrepresented in comparison. If you want to make a difference, understand that your vote matters and change can’t be made without your participation.  

I’m confidently voting for Kamala Harris. I trust that Harris is well suited to run the nation, particularly on the platform of preserving human rights. That’s not to say that some of those reading this opinion column have a different point of view. 

Regardless of your political stance, you won’t be represented in your city, state or nation without voting. Check your registration status today, register for future elections if you haven’t already and take friends with you to vote. 

That is how we, as citizens, canmake the most significant difference in our community and our nation.