Grassroots organizing needs to start at the ground level by registering eligible voters
A lot of bad public officials get where they are because a lot of good people never vote.
Even worse, a lot of good people never even bother to register to vote.
They meet the age and eligibility requirements all right. But as incredible as it sounds about 15 percent of the voting age population in West Virginia never register to do so.
At least that was the number in 2012 — the last posted year. Most estimates still conclude there’s about that many unregistered voters in our state.
By and large, West Virginia’s registered voter rolls were still hovering around 1.22 million for much of 2017 and this year for the May 8 primary election.
The number of registered voters as of March 31 was 1,222,808 compared to 1,234,845 on March 31, 2017.
That’s a drop of about 12,000 fewer registered voters in one year. Obviously, much of that has do with our state’s declining population and some due to efforts to clean up voter rolls.
We’re not going to digress here into the turnout in our state’s elections or try to guilt anyone, which has been on the decline for 20 years.
Leave it at this: That number for the last mid-term general election in 2014 was 32 percent. That means 68 percent of voters elected your leaders that year.
We’re not sure there is any secret to registering eligible voters, but there is one place we can all start.
That is, making sure everyone in your family who’s eligible is registered to vote.
Another place to start is that at every public event possible arrange for voter registration drives there.
Usually this amounts to a table where volunteers (from all parties and independents) can answer questions about someone’s registration status or just register them.
Voter registration and registration status check-up is available online.
Of course, registering voters will need a driver’s license and to know their Social Security number to complete online registration.
This information is provided directly to the West Virginia secretary of state’s website and is not given out to any parties or persons.
Anyone without a driver’s licenses can pick up voter registration forms and take them to their county courthouse later.
Or event volunteers can aid them in filling out forms and deliver them to their respective courthouses.
Potential voters may be 17 years old to register to vote but must be 18 before an election to participate.
The registration cut-off date for the May 8 primary is a week from today.
It’s time to be as good as all your bad words about politicians — register to vote.
