“If you don’t vote, you can’t complain,” Shontay Jones’s said, describing her motto on voting in both Federal and local levels.

Jones has been working as a deputy registrar for the Board of Elections and Voter Registration at Bulloch County’s annex for about 18 years. Jones described the importance of local elections in how those who run on the local level are the people making decisions that affect Bulloch County right now.

It is important to be an active member in the community you live in, and through voting, students have the power to make Statesboro the best city it can be.

Sterling Stipe, freshman accounting and finance major with a minor in economics, volunteered to help students register to vote for the upcoming elections. Stipe said that a common issue first-time-voters face is knowing the details of when and where vote.

According to Georgia Southern’s website, for those registered to vote in Bulloch County, on election day, every voter will vote at their assigned polling place from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The locations of assigned polling places can be found online or on one’s voter registration card received in the mail.

Every voter should do their homework. It does not matter which party one identifies with; it is important to be informed. Jones said that My Voter Page is a helpful website to visit for first time voters.

According to Jones, replica ballots can be provided, and they are examples of what you will see on election day. This allows voters to become familiar with how voting will work while at the polling place.

Jones also said that students can bring either their license or student ID as forms of picture identification. If you are registered to vote in Statesboro, it does not matter if your license is out of state or does not have the same address that is in the voting system.

Americans are given a voice, so it is important to use it. For new voters not sure about current voter status, Georgia’s My Voter Page provides information on polling place locations, absentee ballot request information and elected officials.

Get out and go vote!