Besides becoming licensed to drive, another privilege on the road to adulthood is turning 18 and being allowed to enter a voting booth to make your own political choices. No more watching on the sidelines while other people choose your state and national representatives and vote on what local taxes you will pay. Now you can earn the "I voted" sticker.

Of course, being 18 brings with it a host of other obligations. When you reach the legal age of adulthood, you have new responsibilities to the state (i.e. men signing up for Selective Service) and to the community (i.e. voting).

If you are male and apply for a driver's license between the ages of 18 and 26, the Motor Vehicle Division will automatically toss your name into the Selective Service pool. But registering to vote is not the domain of the MVD.

Where to Register

To sign up to vote in New Mexico, you need to visit your local county clerk's office and fill out the voter registration form. You can also call the clerk's office and have them mail you a form.

Unfortunately, the counties do not post a form online at this time. However, you can print out a national form available from the Federal Elections Commission. Fill it out and mail or drop it by the county clerk's office, along with a copy of your driver's license or ID card and a copy of a utility bill. The utility bill helps establish residency when signing up through the mail.

During major general elections, you can register to vote at a variety of places. As a matter of fact, someone might show up at your front door with a voting registration form. With New Mexico being a swing state and essential in national general elections to decide who lives in the White House, voting drives are pretty popular about every four years. So you can always wait for one of these if you prefer ultimate convenience.

Requirements

There are a few basic requirements you must meet in order to be eligible to vote in the United States and to register in New Mexico:

• You must be 18 years old.

• You must be a legal resident of the United States.

• You must be a legal resident of New Mexico.

• If you have been convicted of a felony, you must have had your civil rights restored.

• You must not have been judged mentally unfit.

Few things in life may be free, but registering to vote is. If you intend to vote in an upcoming election, you must register to vote at least 28 days before the event.

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