Election day is Tues., Nov. 2. But, that doesn't mean much to you if you're not already registered to vote, something you can do quickly and easily at DemocracyNC.org. The last day to register is Fri., Oct. 8 ... but why wait when you can click the button now? If you miss that deadline, though, One-Stop absentee voting begins Tues., Oct. 14. That's when you can register to vote and vote at the same time.

Voting in elections is critical for anyone living in a Democracy. For many, like African-Americans and women, the right to vote wasn't a gimme. Many people fought hard to not only secure the right to vote for these segments of the population, but also to push back those who attempted to prevent them from voting even after they won the right to do so.

And, you must know, every election is important — not just presidential elections. In fact, I assert local elections are more important than presidential elections. That's when we choose the people who will end up making the rules that directly, and immediately, impact our lives in often under-attended meetings.

Find out more about who's running for office in your district at USelections.com. But, don't stop there. Check out the candidate's websites. Look into who is filling their campaign's bank account, and ask yourself why certain individuals and companies are doing so. Review their voting records. And, take this time to ask the candidates questions via phone, e-mail, snail mail and social media.

Go ahead and put election day in your calendar now (with a reminder). It will only take a couple minutes to vote. And, remember my mantra: Don't vote, don't bitch.

You don't have to look too far back in history to find a time when people were, literally, dying to vote. Don't disrespect them. Vote.

A little history about the women's suffrage movement:

Rhiannon "Rhi" Bowman is an independent journalist who contributes snarky commentary on Creative Loafing's CLog blog four days a week in addition to writing for several other local media organizations. Additionally, she's on the steering committee for the Greater Charlotte Society of Professional Journalists. To learn more, click the links or follow Rhi on Twitter.