Editorial | Doing your civic duty

Your vote (finally) counts - at least if you're a Democrat.

By a strange twist of fate, Pennsylvania's voice will matter in the presidential primaries.

For residents of the Keystone state, including many Penn students, that means a rare opportunity to play a pivotal role in deciding on candidates for president.

Even though the Republican nomination is locked up, party registration numbers for Pennsylvania will play an important role in shaping the political discourse.

And with an extremely competitive election that will determine the future of America's economic, domestic and foreign policies, the stakes this November couldn't be higher.

Make sure you aren't left out.

Register to vote by March 24 so you can participate in the April 22 primary elections.

Fortunately, there are many local organizations that can help you out during the process. Penn Leads the Vote, a voter-mobilization initiative, has registration forms and instructions on its Web site at leadthevote.com.

The Committee of Seventy, a local bipartisan group for clean government, also has information about the election schedule on its Web site at seventy.org.

Two years ago, the Penn community bucked the trend with impressive turnout rates for the midterm elections. There's no reason why we can't do the same this year.

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