Your Vote Matters – Are You Registered?

Our government is elected by its citizens’, and the decisions of the government affect every aspect of our lives; from schools, to health care, to homeland security. Voting an important right in our society because it allows us to voice our opinion on how we think the government should operate. The voting process also holds elected officials accountable for their behavior while in office, as well as preventing the minority from dictating the policies of the majority.

Because past generations had to fight for the right to vote, and other countries still don’t enjoy that same freedom, some people want to categorize voting as a privilege. Gov. Terry Brandstad (Iowa) argues that “our rights as citizens were not given to us… but secured and preserved for us.” The US Constitution, however, states the opposite. Amendment XV states that the “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

When you highlight the importance of the people choosing the government, however, that right/privilege suddenly becomes a responsibility. This point needs to be reiterated, because according to the United States Elections Project, voter turnout for the Florida 2016 election was around 60%. Additionally, Statistic Brain lists voter registration among 18 to 34 year olds around 65% nationally, so there is an urgent need for this information.

A Florida Voter Registration Application Form must be filed with the Bay County Supervisor of Elections before you can vote in city, county, state or federal elections. To register you must:

• Be a United States citizen
• Be a resident of the State of Florida
• Be 18 years old (you may preregister if you are 17)
• Not be adjudicated mentally incapacitated
• Not be a convicted felon
• Not claim the right to vote in another county or state
• Must be registered for at least 29 days before you can vote in a city, state or federal election

You can obtain a Florida Voter Registration Application Form at the Bay County Supervisor of Elections Office.

830 W. 11^th St

Panama City, FL 32401

850-784-6100

Florida Voter Registration Forms are also available at City Hall and the Bay County Library. For more information about registering to vote, or to find out if you are registered to vote in city elections, call the Bay County Supervisor of Elections office. You can also visit the Supervisor of Elections Office website for more information.

Information for this article was gathered from https://www.bayvotes.org/.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR