In Arizona, where the presidential election in 2020 was decided by less than 11,000 votes, setting off a frenzy of recounts and shenanigans, it's fair to say that every vote matters this year. But beware! Some people don't want every Arizonan to participate.

The state's Republican party is suing to force election officials to purge registrations of HALF A MILLION people. They claim those registrations are of dead people or people who have moved out of state, but they are on a warpath to reverse course for Republicans this year and win, so cannot necessarily be trusted.

Other efforts to purge voters have raised eyebrows around the country. "...efforts appear to be focused on precincts that lean Democratic or are home to large communities of color. This seems to be about politics, not voter-roll hygiene," says the Brennan Center for Justice's CEO, Michael Waldman. 

Here's what you can do, if you live in Arizona or in another state. Check on your registration at vote.org. While you're there, make sure all of your information is correct and up to date. If you don't see your registration, register again.

Then check once more as this year's deadline approaches for voter registration in your state to make sure your registration hasn't been purged. You don't want to show up to vote and be turned away. Or, in a vote-by-mail state, you don't want to expect a ballot to come in the mail that will not be coming.

You have the right to vote, but you may have to do a little work to ensure it.

** Good news for some: Arizona doesn't allow same-day registration, meaning you can register on the day you vote (or re-register if your registration has been purged), but 22 states and Washington, D.C. do allow this. In some states you can do so during a part or all of the early voting period, and in most you can do so on election day. For you, purges of the voter rolls aren't as threatening. For Arizonans and Texans and Floridians, among others, it is. Check the rules in your state at https://www.vote411.org/voting-rules.

If you don't favor election rules in your state, speak up to the secretary of state or chief election official in your state. If North Dakota can hold elections without requiring voter registration, all states can. New rules can be adopted. This is a government of the people, by the people - and for the people.