Have you heard? There’s an election coming up. It’s not easy to miss with the constant barrage of TV, radio, and mail advertisements.

With the General Election a little less than three weeks away, early voting is almost here. Saturday, October 20, 2012, is the first day to vote early in Washoe County and you will then have until November 2, 2012, to cast an early ballot. So, my question to you is, are you going to get out and vote early?

Early voting is an easy and painless process; at least it has been in my experience. With 22 locations in Reno, Sparks, and Incline where you can cast your ballot early, there really isn’t much of an excuse as to why you can’t make it out to vote. You don’t even have to go to your assigned polling location when casting your ballot early. I can hear some of you saying, “I don’t like any of the candidates,” and that’s ok. Nevadans can still cast a vote for “none of the above,” a voting option unique to Nevada, so exercise your voice even when dissatisfied.

If you really aren’t into voting in person, you can also cast an absentee ballot. All you have to do is fill out an absentee ballot request form and have it into the Registrar of Voters by 5 PM the Tuesday before the election, October 30, 2012, in order to receive an absentee ballot. Once you receive your absentee ballot, fill it out and make sure that it reaches the Registrar’s office by 7 PM on Election Day (November 6, 2012). Nice and easy and no waiting in line, either. I still think early voting is just as easy or even easier, but there are options out there. So, no excuses!

If neither of these early or alternative options sounds like your thing, please just remember to vote on November 6, 2012. If you vote on Election Day you will have to vote at your assigned polling location which you can find on the sample ballot you receive. If you don’t receive a sample ballot or misplace yours, you can look up your voter registration online through the Secretary of State, find your precinct, and then locate your polling location on the Washoe County Registrar’s web page.

With a record number of voters registered in Washoe County (241,400 as of October 17 according to the Registrar), we can only hope this increase in registration means an increase in voter turnout. The two don’t necessarily correlate, so that is why I am encouraging you to get out and vote. To recap:

• Early voting happens October 20, 2012, through November 2, 2012.

• Requests for absentee ballots are due October 30, 2012, by 5 PM.

• The General Election is November 6, 2012. You must vote at your assigned location.

Once again, you have many options and plenty of time to cast a ballot this election, so please, go vote!