(Editorial - Graphic Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

If the last few elections have taught us anything, it is the power of voters to make dramatic change for their schools, communities, states and the whole country. Ensuring a representative number of voters are making those decisions for everybody is important. That happens when those who are eligible register; and when those who register, vote.

September is National Voter Registration Month, and to kick it off, West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner was able to recognize the voter registration of 100,000 high school students since he took office in 2017.

“That’s quite the accomplishment or milestone anyway when you think we have 1.1 million registered voters in West Virginia, and now about a tenth of them will be these high school students, that’s important because we want to get young people engaged,” Warner said, according to a report by WV MetroNews.

It is fitting for the state from which Jennings Randolph was inspired to fight for the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which grants “The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.”

Voter registration — and voting, itself — is important for those of all ages who are eligible. But for the youngest voters among us, becoming educated and involved, and making their voices heard at the ballot box is essential if we are to keep moving forward.

Warner’s office is to be commended for its work on that front. Those 18 and older who have not yet registered should pick up on the momentum and join the ranks of the decision-makers as soon as possible.