While students are in class today, the election polls are open for Riley Countians to vote on the next round of city and school district officials.

Some of those Manhattan High students could be among those voting, if they turned 18 in time to register. For many, it will be the first real chance for their voice to be heard in the community and make an impact.

Registration can be done by filling out a form from Riley County’s website, and then mailing it to the designated office for the county. While the deadline for registration was Oct. 17, it’s never too early to register for the next election.

“There’s lots of ways to register to vote,” senior Kenny Cecil said. “I don’t think that a lot of people know how, and I think that’s a part of the reason why young people don’t vote very often.”

Those voting, as well as those who aren’t, can educate themselves on the candidates through the internet or by reading local papers with information. The candidates for City Commissioner this year will be current commissioner Wynn Butler, Kaleb James, Trent McGee, Jerred McKee, Usha Reddi and Brian Thomason.

“When people start to vote, I think they need to be educated on who is running, and not vote just to vote, because that’s how candidates who aren’t necessarily good for the people get elected,” Cecil said.

Local elections will decide issues such as taxes for the county, and the officials that are elected for USD 383 will directly influence spending in the school.

“It’s almost more important to vote for local elections [than national elections],” Cecil said. “Because they impact you more directly, so I think it’s really important to vote locally if you can.”

If a student is 18 and missed the voter registration date, they can still be involved in the election process by signing up to be an election worker. Duties can include issuing ballots to registered voters, registering voters, monitoring the voting equipment, explaining how to mark the ballot or use the voting equipment or counting votes.