PHOENIX — The voter registration deadline in Arizona is less than two weeks away.
As we celebrate National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, there is an all-out effort to get people registered in time for the November election.
The Maricopa County Election Department set up shop outside the Kerr Student Center at Mesa Community College, one of the dozens of locations across the Valley where people could register to vote.
Students decide the time is now to have a say in the world where they live.
"It's not a good thing to sit back and watch different primaries and different elections pass by," 21-year-old Sariah Chabarria said.
Another student, Nicole, is 23 years old — already older than many of her classmates. She said she used to believe her vote wouldn't make a difference, but she doesn't believe that any longer.
"When I was that age, I was... one vote is not going to change anything. So, I think it's important, now that my son is getting older, he'll have something," she said.
Global warming, Roe v. Wade, education, and police funding are some of the issues driving people to register to vote. But overwhelmingly, it's the demand for respect, to be recognized, to be counted.
"I think equality, equality, equality, equality for everyone to have an opportunity. Not just like certain individuals," said 19-year-old Gisell Surchilt, who registered to vote Tuesday.
Currently, there are nearly 2.5 million residents registered to vote in Maricopa County. That's an increase of over 12,800 voters since the primary election.
After National Voter Registration Day, the numbers will go up.
October 11 is the last day to register to vote in Arizona and still be eligible for the November election.
