Think your vote doesn’t matter? Here’s why you need to register to vote today | Editorial

Maybe you’re like Olori Manns.

The 49-year-old Akron man has never voted. He always thought his vote didn’t matter.

But after recently starting a job registering people to vote for the Freedom BLOC , he’s determined to cast his first ballot ever in the upcoming presidential election.

“It’s time for purpose,” Manns told an Akron Beacon Journal reporter . “I’m trying to believe in something and be part of something.”

Casting your ballot at the polls — or early through the mail or in person at the Summit County Board of Elections — lets you be part of the democratic process. It gives you a voice in everything from who leads our nation and who represents you in Washington, D.C., to whether your schools or local government should get more of your money.

In this polarizing presidential election, your vote gives you a say in the direction of our country.

Still think your vote doesn’t matter?

There are plenty of examples in recent history of times when just a few votes decided key races, including the presidency.

In 2000, the race between Al Gore and George W. Bush came down to a recount in the state of Florida. In the end, Bush won by a mere 537 votes — or 0.009% of the votes cast in the state.

Closer to home, Barberton Mayor William Judge defeated challenger Megann Eberhart last November by 112 votes.

And in Hartville, a 10-year 0.5% income tax passed by just six votes.

“Every vote counts,” Hartville Councilman Frank Gant told The Canton Repository after the income tax issue results were certified in November. “Six votes! That's remarkable.”

If you’re among the estimated 32% of Ohio residents age 18 or older who aren’t registered to vote, now is the time to take action.

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7 for the November general election.

Registration is simple. Just visit olvr.ohiosos.gov and click the “Let’s Get Started” link.

To register, you’ll need the following information:

• Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card number
• Name
• Date of birth
• Address
• Last four digits of your Social Security number

You can check your voter registration at voterlookup.ohiosos.gov/voterlookup.aspx

This site also lists your polling location, which may have changed since the last time you voted.

If you’re registered to vote but haven’t voted in four years or more, check this online list to make sure you’re not one of more than 158,857 Ohio residents who have recently been purged from the list of registered voters: registrationreadiness.ohiosos.gov

If your name appears on the list, you can register again to vote.

No matter your political affiliation or views, we urge you to take a few minutes to register to vote — then vote.

And if you’re already registered to vote, make plans to vote early or head to the polls on Election Day Nov. 5.

Your vote is your voice. Don't be silent.

This piece was written by Akron Beacon Journal Executive Editor Cheryl Powell on behalf of the editorial board of the Beacon Journal. Editorials are fact-based assessments of issues of importance to the communities we serve. These are not the opinions of our reporting staff members, who strive for neutrality in their reporting.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Think your vote doesn’t matter? Here’s why you need to register to vote today | Editorial