By: Richard W. Sharp & Patrick W. Zimmerman

For those about to rock the vote, we salute you. But before you visit the polls in November, you have to register to vote.

Luckily for you, tomorrow is Tuesday, September 25th, National Voter Registration Day.

Hallmark might not have caught on quite yet, but your local library may have.

Midterms have a history of….um….tepid turnout, but this year needs to be different. A madman frets over his ego while tapping his tiny fingers on a shiny red button while the grown ups in the room have bravely joined the resistance (except for the good stuff: defending misogyny and tax breaks for the 1%). A Democrat victory won’t fix this overnight, but it can give you a voice. It’s time to remind the representatives whom they represent.

In short: Want that blue wave? It’s not going to go and make itself.

• Usually, only a handful of people determine who controls your life in midterm elections. Typical turnout is 40%.
  • But there are signs, like early voter registration numbers, that this year could be different.
• Republicans are running scared, and there are lots of opportunities for pickups: 38 Republicans and 18 Democrats decided to retire this cycle, leaving open seats. In addition 12 Republicans and 3 Democrats, ahem, “left office early” (aka, scandal city).
• If you’re a fan of checks and balances, consider voting. The president has discovered that legislating is hard, but geverning by executive orders (76), presidential memoranda (42), and Tweets (approaching 5,000 since November, 2016) is easy if nobody pushes back.
• Register to vote! There’s still time (yes, in your state, too).
• Tell your friends.  A little encouragement goes a long way.
• Make a plan. How are you going to make sure you get to the polls? How are you going to make sure your friends do too?
• Do not assume any race is wrapped up with under 2 months to go. A lot can go wrong in a short amount of time.