If you live in Ohio and have not yet registered to vote, you are nearly out of time.

The deadline to register and be eligible to vote in the Nov. 4 election is 9 p.m. today.

Our representative democracy allows residents to choose who will represent them on city and village councils, who will serve as township trustees, who will be their mayor and who will represent them on the local school board.

Local voters get to determine the fate of tax and other issues.

Those are among the items Ohioans will see on their ballots this fall.

Many area residents stay on top of politics in their communities and work diligently to be a part of an electorate that is engaged, educated and informed. But before they — or anyone — can use any of the methods Ohio allows its residents to vote by, you have to be registered.

You must register if you have never been registered to vote, have moved to Jefferson County and have not yet registered to vote or if your registration has been canceled after six years of not voting.

You should update your registration if you have moved within Jefferson County, even if it is only across the street — precinct lines can be unpredictable in some locations — or if your name has changed from what is currently on your registration.

It’s a simple process — but if you do not complete it, you will not be able to vote.

The Jefferson County Board of Elections, located at 500 Market St. in Steubenville, will be open until 9 p.m. today for you to complete the process. You also can register online with a valid Ohio ID or driver’s license at VoteOhio.Gov or in person using a paper form at the library or at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. According to the website of Frank LaRose, Ohio’s secretary of state, you also can register at public high schools or vocational schools, public libraries, the office of the county treasurer, at any deputy registrar of the state Department of Motor Vehicles or at designated agencies, including the departments of job and family services, health and mental health and developmental disabilities.

Once you are registered, you will be ready to vote — which you can do beginning Tuesday. Ohioans can vote by using the absentee system, participating in early voting at the board of elections or by heading to the polls between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 4.

Make sure you can be a part of the election process — register to vote by 9 p.m. today.

And, once you are registered, remember that all of the talk, all of the hand-wringing and all of the discussions about candidates and issues will mean nothing if you don’t vote.