WS Chronicle

Fall sneaked up on us on Sept. 23 with a cold snap. With fall here now, it’s time to gear up for election season. Candidate forums are being held and candidates of all kinds are revving up the politicking. Voters need to start now preparing to vote.

One place to start is the Forsyth County Board of Elections website, at www.forsyth.cc/Elections/.  It has information and services for you with various sections:

*Am I Registered?

*Register to Vote

*Be a Pollworker

*Find my Elected Representatives

*Absentee Voting

*Early Voting

*Sample Ballot

*Find My Polling Place

Voters need to decide how they will vote: by absentee ballot, early voting or on Election Day. A sample composite ballot is available on the Board of Elections website. It is long; the type is small, so make sure your glasses or contacts are handy when you read it.

Early Voting begins Wednesday, Oct. 17 and closes Saturday, Nov. 3. The elections website tells you where you can go to vote early.

The voter registration deadline is 25 days prior to an election, which makes the deadline to register to vote on Election Day, Nov. 6, should be Oct. 12. Check to make sure you know where to go to vote in your precinct.

Those who decide to actually go to the polls need to also plan for any surprises regarding the Business 40 construction project. Closure of Business 40 is now scheduled for mid-November, but there have been several road closures linked to that already. Information about the Business 40 closure also is on the Board of Elections website.

Voters should be prepared to spend time voting no matter how you do it.

This is a momentous election that will decide our futures for years to come. One thing voters should not do: Don’t decide not to vote.