The Good Doctor Hunter S. Thompson once asked, "Who does vote for these dishonest shitheads?"

Hunter was no stranger to challenging the U.S. political system and those who lead it. But the answer to his question is that we do. We vote for the honest and dishonest shitheads alike who make a lot of our choices for us. 

That is why on the last day of our Support Local Week, we ask you to LISTEN Local. And it starts by exercising your right to vote:

• Register to vote: There are many options for registering and the guidelines vary by state. You can start by going to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission website to learn more. (The most common way to register to vote is to fill out the National Voter Registration form and send it in by mail.)
• Know your state deadlines: Each state has different guidelines for registration, early voting, absentee ballots and more. Find your state on the EAC's interactive map. Our local deadlines for voting registration are:
  • Maryland: 21 days before the election
  • Virginia: 30 days before the election (or 15 if registration is delivered to the local locater registration office)
• Vote absentee if you're living outside of the U.S.: Your vote still matters and the Federal Voting Assistance Program can help. 
• Find your polling place: The National Secretaries of State operate CanIVote.org, which will help you find polling places and prepare you for election day. 
• Learn about your candidates from the top down: Project Vote Smart is a non-partisan and non-profit organization that's only goal is to provide information on candidates across the country.