KENTUCKY —  During the 2020 general election this November, several important offices are up for grabs, including the presidency and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R) seat. For voters who want to participate, the deadline to register to vote is Oct. 5, 2020 at 4 p.m. 

Registering to vote is easy with voting options available online, by mail and in-person.

For those who opt to register online, there are several important things to know. The online option is mobile-friendly, so registration can be completed on any computer or smart phone. Just click on the new/update registration on the right-hand side to get the process started, and in about 90 seconds, the registration is complete. The process also asks for your social security number, so it's a good idea to have that handy.

Registering to vote by mail is also a simple process. Just download the register to vote application, print it, fill it out then mail it to your local county clerk. You can also drop it off at your county clerk's office.

If you prefer to register to vote in-person, there are two options. First, you can go to any location where you would get a driver's license of photo ID and register there. Second, you can call your local county clerk and set-up an appointment to register on-site.

Once your registration is accepted, the county clerk will send you confirmation by mail and let you know where your polling location is. A spokesperson with Kentucky’s Board of Elections said this usually takes about a week once someone’s registration is received.

Dee Pregliasco, vice president of the Kentucky League of Women Voters, a non-partisan political organization that encourages civic engagement, said even registered voters may need to update their information. A name change after marriage or a change of address are examples of information that needs to be updated to still be eligible to vote.

“You can go online. You can even call your county’s local elections board and find out if your registration is up to date,” Pregliasco told Spectrum News 1.

However, once someone registers to vote, they actually have to vote, Pregliasco said. She explained that voting absolutely makes a difference.

“The decisions made by our elected representatives affect us, you know, whether it’s healthcare, whether it’s crime, whether it’s jobs, taxes, whatever. All those things, all those decisions, affect us, and they are made by people that we put an office,” Pregliasco said.

The general election takes place Tuesday, November 3, 2020. 

Spectrum News 1's election coverage can be found online at our 2020 Elections page.