WITH LESS THAN a week before the deadline to register, The League of Women Voters (LWV) is reminding all Michiganders that their voices are important and if they haven’t registered to vote yet, now is the time. The last day to register to vote is Monday, October 6.

“Your vote is your voice,” said Nancy Schewe of the Ann Arbor League of Women Voters. “Voting empowers us to bring about positive change, to work for a brighter future for our children, our communities and our country.”

Since 1920, the League of Women Voters has provided voters with nonpartisan information about candidates. A nonpartisan political organization, LWV aims to improve U.S. systems of government and impact public policies through education, training and workshops.

With an online voter guide available at www.vote411.org, residents who aren’t yet registered or who are new to the process can visit this one-stop-shop for nonpartisan election-related information.

Vote411.org provides general and Michigan-specific information and allows users to register to vote, find out where polling locations are, compare candidates’ positions side-by-side and even print out a sample ballot to take to the polls on Election Day. Vote411.org also provides information on absentee voting and provisional ballots.

“Voting is our civic duty and the Vote411 website was created to make the process quick and easy,” said League of Women Voters of Michigan President Sue Smith. “We want to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and that everyone takes part in the democratic process.”

The Ann Arbor League of Women Voters is sponsoring candidate forums during the month of October. All of the Ann Arbor forums will be held at Community Television Network, 2805 South Industrial, Ann Arbor and be available for viewing on CTN Channel 19.

Wednesday, Oct. 8:

7:00 – 7:30 Ann Arbor Mayor (2 candidates)

8:00 – 8:30 22nd Circuit Court Judge (2 candidates)

9:00 – 9:30 County Probate Judge (2 candidates)

Thursday, Oct. 9:

7:00 – 8:30 County Board of Commissioners (3 districts, 6 candidates)

Tuesday, Oct. 14:

7:00 – 7:30 State Senator (2 candidates)

8:00 – 9:00 State Rep.’s (2 districts, 4 candidates)

Wednesday, Oct. 15:

7:00 – 8:00 Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustees (4 candidates)

8:30 – 9:30 Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustees (4 candidates)

Thursday, Oct. 16:

7:00 – 8:15 Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education (5 candidates)

8:30 – 9:45 Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education (5 candidates)

Ypsilanti Forums

The Ypsilanti Fora will be available for viewing on CTN Channel 19.

Monday, Oct. 13

7:00 – 9:00 Ypsilanti Community Schools Board of Education

Ypsilanti Community High School Auditorium, 2095 Packard Rd., Ypsilanti

Tuesday, Oct. 14:

7:00 – 9:00 Ypsilanti City Council

Recreation Park Community/Senior Center, 1015 North Congress, Ypsilanti

The Regents of the University of Michigan, Wednesday, October 8

4:00 Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, Joan and Sanford Weill Hall, 735 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-3091.

According to the League’s Sept. 2014 newsletter, the group sponsored three nights of forums for the August Primary candidates running for Mayor of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor City Council, Washtenaw County Probate Judge, and 22nd Circuit Court Judge.

“While we do not have figures for how many people watched the night of broadcast, we know that there were 1042 separate viewings of the programs,” said a piece published in the most recent newsletter posted to the group’s website.