Patriots or Pinheads? 

By Art Suberbielle

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As election day draws near, it’s utterly amazing to hear so many people confess that they did not vote in the last presidential election. What’s even more troubling is the number of adults who are not even registered to vote.  What can we do to engage more people in the election process?

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Before we can get folks to actually go vote, they must be registered. So our first task is to ask our co-workers, friends and acquaintances if they are registered. There’s still time to register at the local parish Registrar of Voters’ office. Anyone who registers on or before October 11th can cast a ballot in the November 8th election. To register, a person needs to bring a valid Louisiana driver’s license or I.D. If someone doesn’t have either of these, they will need to bring their birth certificate, social security card and a piece of mail addressed to them to verify their address. 

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The next challenge is getting folks to actually cast their ballots. Election day is Tuesday, November 8th. But if that date is not convenient, a voter can vote absentee. The window to cast an absentee ballot is from October 25 through November 1st. Absentee voting is available at the Registrar of Voters office. There’s no questions asked about why you are voting early so all that is required is to appear with proper I.D. – your LA driver’s license, or state issued I.D. or the voter registration card issued to you. 

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Voting is one of the most often overlooked rights we have as U.S. citizens. By participating in the election process, we not only have the opportunity to express our opinion as to who is best qualified to serve. We also embrace the patriotism upon which our entire democratic system is based. No one should ever take this for granted.