It’s National Voter Registration Day! That means that if you’re new to D.C., just turned 18, haven’t voted in a while, or simply haven’t yet exercised your franchise here, today is as good a day as any to get yourself registered. You can register in person or by mail—all the details are here. (If you’re unsure of your status, check here.) There are also a lot of voter registration drives in the area, so check here for something that’s close to you.

There’s recently been some debate as to whether it’s worth even registering in D.C. if you’ve come here from elsewhere in the country. Sure, you’re giving up local representation and the city is reliably Democratic, but at the same time recent local races have been decided by extremely slim margins. As for Virginia, well, the commonwealth certainly matters in presidential politics, and this November voters in Maryland will cast ballots deciding the fate of same-sex marriage.

Your vote really does make a difference, so don’t let it go to waste.