Politics may be partisan — but voting certainly is not

Some 158 million Americans voted in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, but 63 million eligible people could not because they weren’t even registered to vote.

That’s disturbing.

In New York, there are some 13 million registered voters, and another 2 million people of voting age who aren’t registered. Voter turnout has increased in recent years, but voter registration has declined slightly.

Americans who neglect their civic duty to vote are roundly chastised every November, but the emphasis must be put on convincing unregistered people to register — and helping them to do so.

Education is a huge part of increasing voter registration. Municipalities must continue to partner with non-profits like the League of Women Voters to help people understand the importance of voting and how simple it is to legally register. There are many websites that give you help to register to vote. Perhaps the easiest is Vote411.org.

Tuesday, Sept. 19, is National Voter Registration Day — an event that, since its inception in 2012, has helped register more than 5 million Americans to vote on that one day each year alone. The West Hempstead Public Library is holding an event Sept. 19 to help people register to vote. More events will be held across the island.

Clearly, voting is an important issue. The health of a representative democracy depends on people voting. It also depends on constant outreach to get people registered to vote.

In New York, citizens who are 16 or 17 can pre-register to vote — an important first-step in joining the voting public. Civics classes in high schools often provide voter registration forms to students of eligible age to start the process. And these students are certainly educated about the history of voting rights, and the importance of exercising the right.

And for those concerned about voter registration fraud — providing false information when registering to vote is a crime (there is a notice on the form itself). The number of illegally registered voters is miniscule in reality.

Celebrate National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 19 by registering to vote yourself, or talking about the importance of voting with family and neighbors. Spread the word, and more people will see how important voting is to a strong America.

And while you’re registering to vote …

Becoming an organ donor is a personal decision. We do not intrude on a person’s right to decide to become an organ donor or not. We do, however, encourage people to learn more about the need for organ donors— especially in New York.

According to NY.gov, there are 8,500 people in New York who need a life-saving organ transplant. Just under half of adults 18 and older in the state are registered as organ donors.

Some 3,400 New York patients received lifesaving organ transplants in 2022, according to SUNY.edu, and 1,002 people in New York donated last year.

Becoming an organ donor is your decision. If you wish to become an organ donor, the process is simple and can be done at the state motor vehicles department — or while you register to vote.

Take time to educate yourself about the need for organ donors, and what you can do to help.