The St. Lawrence County chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is reminding potential voters that six million Americans didn’t vote because they missed a registration deadline or didn’t know how to register in 2008 alone, and that need not stop them.

Nearly one in four eligible Americans are not registered to vote this year. And while there are no national or statewide offices up for election, there are many local ones and six statewide ballot issues to be decided here in New York. The choices that voter make at the polls determines the quality of life for everyone -- those who voted and those who did not.

National Voter Registration Day is today, Tuesday, Sept. 24, sponsored by NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org.

Another good on-line resource is CanIVote.org to check your voter registration status, your polling place, and what sort of ID (if any) you need to bring. By selecting your state, you are taken to that state’s Board of Elections page where you can get more information on the particular guidelines required by your state.

The rules can be especially confusing for college students who are from out of state. The Brennan Center for Justice in New York has a student voting guide to help college students understand the ins and outs of voting where they’re attending school.

No group of citizens has been more negatively affected by recent elections in the long term than the college-aged, according to the AAUW. There were 6.8 million young people eligible to vote in 2012; yet youth voter registration rates are much lower than those for older age groups. Young adults between the ages of 18 to 29 could wield far more political clout than they do, but only if they register to vote, become educated about the issues, and turn up at the polls.

And while some states have made it harder to vote, most states allow for early voting starting before Election Day and all states will mail an absentee ballot to certain voters, in the event that they will not be able to vote at the regular polling place on Election Day.

In New York, Oct. 29 is the last day to postmark an application or letter of application by mail for an absentee ballot. Nov. 4 is the last day to apply in-person for an absentee ballot and to postmark your ballot. It must be received by the local board of elections no later than Nov. 12th. Military Voter Ballots must be received no later than Nov. 18th. Nov. 5 is the last day to deliver ballot in-person to the local board of elections (by someone other than the voter).