EDITORIAL: Deadline to register to vote looming

In earlier editorials we have written about 2016 being the year of the election. While some may have mistakenly taken that to mean just the presidential election, that office is but one among many — most of them local — we have to decide. And while you might be thinking you have time to wait, you really don't, particularly if you are not a registered voter.

In order to vote in the Presidential Preference Primary or to vote for or against the Houston County educational special purpose local option sales tax (E-SPLOST), you have to be a registered voter. The registration deadline is Feb. 1.

Early voting begins Feb. 8. The Houston County school system is asking voters to continue the 1 percent sales tax that has been in effect since 1997 and has helped transform the facilities and infrastructure of the system and kept it rated near the top of Georgia's school systems.

There really is no excuse not registering and not voting. According to the Secretary of State's office you must meet these minimum requirements to register in Georgia.

You must have a valid Georgia driver's license or identification card (there are some exceptions if you do not have a license or ID).

You must be a citizen of the United States.

A legal resident of the county where you are registering.

You must be 17.5 years of age at the time of registration and 18 years of age by the time of the election.

You must not be serving a sentence for conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude.

You must not have been found mentally incompetent by a judge.

There are several avenues to register, but the quickest is at your local board of elections or voter registration office. You can also register online or by mail.

So why vote? It's one thing for candidates to tap into feelings of the electorate, but it's all for naught if those feelings aren't captured in the ballot box.

There is real anger at what's happening in Washington, D.C., and statehouses around the country, but that anger is mostly hot air that dissipates because politicians at all levels know how to count. This year they will be counting a lot.

On the federal level for Georgia, Sen. Johnny Isakson is up for re-election. So far there are no Democratic challengers. All U.S. House seats are up for re-election as well. On the state level, it is an election year the entire General Assembly, including Larry Walker III and Shaw Blackmon. Both were elected last year to fill unexpired terms.

In Macon-Bibb County, all nine County Commission seats and the mayor are up for re-election as are six of the eight school board members, two water authority board members, coroner and judge of the Probate Court, and that's just the non-partisan offices. Clerk of Superior Court, sheriff, solicitor general and tax commissioner round out the partisan races.

In Houston County, there is much the same, as judgeships, County Commission posts, district attorney, coroner, Superior Court clerk and school board seats will be on the ballot.

All of this is too exciting to miss. Oh, and did we forget to say we will also be voting for president of the United States?

If you're registered, put it on your to-do list to vote. If you're not registered, do so by Feb. 1 and then vote at every opportunity.

This story was originally published January 21, 2016 at 9:23 PM with the headline "EDITORIAL: Deadline to register to vote looming ."