Need to Register to Vote? Just Google It

Thursday’s crowning of Donald Trump as the Republican presidential candidate has ushered in the beginning of the real battle for the White House. Regardless of whether you support Trump, his presumptive Democratic rival Hillary Clinton or neither, you won’t be able to voice your opinion in the November election if you aren’t registered to vote.

If you haven’t registered — whether you think it’s just too much of a pain, you haven’t had the time, or you just don’t know where to start — you’re in luck. Google is here to help with a new widget that makes the process a lot easier.

The widget, launched earlier this month, appears in the results for search terms like “how do I register to vote?”

The widget provides links to registration forms, your state’s county voter registrar offices, plus requirements and deadlines for registration.

Google said in an announcement that the widget helps serve user needs.

“With states’ varied deadlines and methods, the voter registration process can be tricky,” Jacob Schonberg, Google product manager, wrote on the company’s blog. “So … we’re introducing a new tool in Search to simplify the voter registration process to make it easier for you to have your voice heard.”

The Election & Your Finances

Whether you believe your vote counts or not, voicing your opinion can have a direct impact on your personal finances. The candidates’ economic proposals are very different this year, on everything from student loan payments to tax breaks, all of which are sure to affect voters’ bottom lines.

While your vote will only go so far in addressing how the economy operates, you can still take charge of your own personal finances by maintaining a good credit score, paying your bills on time, ensuring you have sufficient income and putting some of your money into savings. If any of these are a struggle for you, you can start down the road to a better financial life by checking your credit scores to see where you stand. You can get two free credit scores, updated every 14 days, on Credit.com.

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