Local opinion: Register! Vote early!

The most essential aspect of our democracy, what defines it, what we cherish and what we hold most dear, is our fundamental right to vote. We, the people, have the power. Public officials have the duty to do all they can to ensure free and fair elections, and the public has the responsibility to exercise their franchise.

To vote, you need to register. To register, you need to be 18 years of age by Election Day (Nov. 3), be a U.S. citizen, and be a resident of Arizona. The Pima County Recorder's office makes this process as easy as possible. Visit recorder.pima.gov to register online or pick up a form at any Pima County library or U.S. Post Office and mail it to: Pima County Recorder, P.O. Box 3145, Tucson, AZ 85702-31453

You have to register 29 days before Election Day, which in this case is Oct. 5 in Arizona. To be clear, you must register by Oct. 5.

On the form, one has the option to check the box to be on the Active Early Voting List (AEVL). We encourage you to check this box. If you do, the Recorder's office will mail out ballots starting Oct. 7. So it doesn’t get put aside and forgotten (you know how it goes), it is best to send it back the very next day or soon after.

The Recorder has stated definitively that using the U.S. Post Office to mail back your ballot is safe. There was a recent Supreme Court decision that guarantees that your ballot will not be tampered with and will be safely delivered.

The advantages of mailing your ballot early include (1) you do not have to find a parking spot, stand in line to vote, or suffer dealing with inclement weather; (2) you could be taken off political lists, meaning no more doorbells or phone calls to vote their way since you have already voted; (3) you will receive confirmation that your ballot was received, relieving any anxiety you might feel; and (4) early ballots received are processed before Election Day.

One would expect things to proceed as normal from there, a free and fair election the result.

However, there could still be issues . The Trump administration has lost every case in trying to seize voter rolls from states, as well as to use the U.S. Post Office to screen, track and reject mail-in ballots. When losing, Donald Trump always doubles down; he cannot stand to lose, he must win anyway he can, even attempt to override the U.S. Constitution.

Will Trump assign federal armed agents at key polling centers to intimidate voters, will he attempt to seize ballots, will he invoke presidential emergency powers to postpone the Midterms under the pretext of foreign interference, or most likely, manufacture enough legal challenges, create enough confusion and doubt, that certification of election results will be significantly delayed so that those still in office will consolidate their power?

It is our expectation that if Trump sabotages the midterms that most Americans, whatever their political leanings, will not stand for it. They will fight to preserve our democracy and the rule of law. Americans across the nation will be so incensed that workers will leave their jobs, teachers will leave their classrooms, university students will leave their classes, retired people will leave the comfort of their homes and take to the streets in massive numbers. Businesses that have aligned with Trump will be boycotted.

To end, we need to register to vote, vote early and be prepared to resist if need be.