Presidential elections can be very eventful, and 2016’s is no exception. In exchange for exercising the right to vote, the American public gets a high drama, star studded, multimedia, multi billion dollar production number featuring all of the country’s most charged archetypes (the parents of a decorated solider who died defending his country! “The baby!”) that lasts for well over a year. Talk about entertainment value!

But even though the race for the title of America’s biggest cheese of all is plenty exciting, a voter’s work doesn’t begin and end with the big day on November 8th, especially not this year, when New York City has already had a presidential primary and a congressional primary–and another state and local primary, during which our representatives in New York State Assembly and Senate will be up for electron or reelection, is just around the corner on September 13th.

The registration deadline for voting in the primary is Friday, August 19th, which is the end of the week after this coming one, so now’s the time to check your party-affiliated registration to ensure that you’re in good standing with the Board of Elections.

Remember: a good commander in chief is important, but so are the elected officials who know the streets in your neighborhood. They’re the ones who will advocate for you with, city agencies and the MTA and the ones who who have a working understanding of the dynamics at play in the turbulent, stratified housing market in Bushwick.

So get ready to visit your polling station on September 13th by making sure they’ll have your name on the list when you get there!

Featured image: A sign outside of a Bushwick polling station during the June 28th congressional primary. Emilie Ruscoe for Bushwick Daily.