Election Day may be a few weeks away, but there's no better time than the present to register to vote.

Schenectady hosted an event Tuesday at its Board of Elections office to encourage new voters to sign up on National Voter Registration Day.

Volunteers say registering is the first step to make sure your voice is heard, no matter your political opinion. 

"Your vote might not count as much as you want on the federal level. Think about local elections and statewide elections, you can have a huge difference and then if we have enough of difference there we can change things so we have more of voice federally as well," said Riley Hart, League of Women Voters volunteer. 

You have until October 12 to register to vote in the midterm elections.

If you have a valid driver’s license or state ID, you can register right on the DMV website. If not, head to your local board of elections website to fill out the paperwork or mail it in.