Voting 101 for Teens

Teen Life     From Ellen Friedrichs, your About Teen Life Editor     Last night was the US Midterm Elections. A lot of teens think politics don't affect them since they can't vote. But teens are only a few years away from this milestone and understanding the voting process before you get into the voting booth is a really good idea.   Follow us on:     Sign up for more free newsletters: About Today About Parenting About Health   Youth Vote Websites If you are old enough to vote by the next election, you will finally have a chance to make a difference in the future of this nation. How you may ask? By voting we say! Get out there, cast a ballot, make a point, and be heard. Confused about how to register, what the issues are, who the candidates are and how to vote in your area? These youth oriented voter websites will give you all the answers and make casting your vote as easy and painless as blinking. READ NOW   Registering to Vote In all states except North Dakota, registering to vote is required in order to cast a ballot. Voter registration is the process used by the government to ensure that everyone who votes in an election is legally eligible to do so, votes in the correct location and only votes once. Registering to vote requires that you give you correct name, current address and other information to the government office that runs elections where you live. It might be a county or state or city office. READ NOW   Top 5 Reasons Youth Should Vote You live in a democracy and that means that you get a say in who runs your country, and because of this privilege you also get a say about how your country is run. It is very easy to be blasé about your right to vote and take a devil-may-care attitude but you shouldn't brush this great honor off so quickly. READ NOW   Don't Forget To Vote Election Day in the United States is the day set by law for the general elections of public officials. It occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The earliest possible date is November 2 and the latest possible date is November 8. Many people vote by an absentee ballot but the majority do go to the polls on election day. READ NOW   ADVERTISEMENT Featured Articles The Best Books About Friendship The Best Halloween Costumes for Groups How to Get Sex Ed in Your School 4 Signs That Your Friendship Is Ending When Is It Okay To Fart In A Relationship? 5 Ways to Get Distance from Your Parents More from About.com Sign up for Shareables! An every-morning rundown of the day in history, with headlines and trends produced by your pals at About.com. Click here to sign up! It's free (of course) and we think you'll like it! Want More From About.com? Check out our social channels tailored to every interest! Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Teen Life newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. If you would like to unsubscribe from all newsletters sent from About.com, please send an email to optout@about.com with "Unsubscribe" as the subject line. Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 Privacy Policy © 2014 About.com