We really shouldn’t have to be telling you this, right? Because you know that we live in a representative democracy and those representatives seem to go off the rail, crazy-train-style, when voters (that’s you) don’t hold them accountable. November 4th is your chance to hold ’em to it—we want to do our part to make sure you have the info that you need to make it happen.

So, first things first. If you’re 18 years of age make absolutely sure that you’re registered to vote. Even if you think that you’re already registered, you need to double check. The last few elections have seen political operatives employ all sorts of fishy tactics to purge voters from the rolls. This could include you.

Fortunately, the interweb has made registering to vote very easy. The Rock The Vote folks have reduced it to a web form:

Register to Vote via Rock the Vote

Just fill out the form, print and mail it. Most states have a 30 day cut-off for voter registration, so do it now. If you are already registered to vote, re-registering shouldn’t screw it up. If you’re really worried, you can check your local voter guide (see below) for details.

If you are going to be away from your polling place on November 4th, you need to vote absentee. Longdistancevoter.org is a great resource for figuring out exactly how this works in your state:

Absentee voter information and state voter guides

They provide links to state voting guides at the bottom of the page. Make sure you’re registered to vote, then check your state’s voter guide for specific information on how get an absentee ballot and where to return it.

If you’re not registered and you want to vote, you need to take care of this right away. Do not procrastinate!