A step-by-step guide to getting registered

This week marks the end of September, and for Severna Park seniors, life is once again a scene of controlled chaos. With college applications piling up, scholarship essays to write and senior week to plan, the thought of worrying about voting registration is enough to drive students up the wall. Well no need to fear, for here is a 3 step guide on how to register to vote in the state of Maryland.

Step 1

Ask yourself—are you a U.S citizen? A Maryland resident? At least 16 years old? If you answered yes to all three of these questions, keep reading. If not, stop now, for you aren’t eligible to vote in Maryland.

Step 2

Gather your driver’s license number or social security card—you’re going to need either one to verify your identification.

Step 3

Log on to the Maryland’s Online Voter Registration System. This is the fastest way to get registered in the state of Maryland, taking up barely 20 minutes of your time. Remember that Maryland has closed primaries though, so if you want to vote in the primaries you will have to affiliate as either Democrat or Republican.

And that’s it! It’s as simple as 1-2-3. Anyone can register to vote if they make it a priority. As the 2016 election approaches, students are encouraged to take part in their constitutional rights, and share their opinions with passion. After all, as presidential candidate Donald Trump once said, “Without passion you don’t have energy, and without energy you have nothing”.