I am a 20-year-old political science major, and I am embarrassed to say that I have never voted. Well, I voted in the SGA election, but seeing how there were no choices there, I do not really count that as involving myself in the democratic process.

Seriously though, I am someone who is really interested in politics and American government, yet I have never once exercised my right to vote. I’m not trying to be a Paris Hilton here, who supported the “Vote or Die” campaign, but decided she would rather die than vote, but I really think this is a problem that should be addressed. With the next presidential election fast approaching (thank God!), I think that there is no better time than now to think about registering and voting.

I am a registered Democrat, something I established the day I turned 18. This is the very first step in the voting process. Not sure where you fall ideologically? That’s okay, register as an independent.

Registering is so easy, you can even do it online. I checked out the website www.declareyourself.org, which broke the registration process down very easily. All you have to do is fill out some personal information, print out the registration form, then mail it to your elections office back home. It will be the best 39 cents you could spend.

So yeah, I am registered, but why haven’t I voted? Well, last year I was a freshman and had no car on campus, so I was unable to get back home. Many of us live too far away to just run home quick, cast your vote, and then turn around and come back. There is a solution: absentee ballots. An absentee ballot gives a person the opportunity to vote by mail if he or she is unable to make it to the official polling station. You must request one at least one week before the election takes place. Again, declareyourself.org has the forms needed to request one of these ballots.

When you go home this summer, please think about registering to vote and even requesting an absentee ballot if you feel you will be unable to make it back home to vote. Our generation is the one that can make or break the United States, so please take the time to involve yourself in government processes. I know I will.