Time is running out if you want to make a difference.

Monday is the last day Louisianians have if they want to vote in the November election.

For some time now groups from outside the state have made their way into Louisiana in an effort to get voters registered.

That isn’t always a good thing.

While we want people to be involved and head to the polls, many of these groups have their own interests in mind.

Louisiana is a battleground state this election year, and there is an awful lot at stake both nationally and locally. That is why it is important for all of us in our state to keep control of our votes.

In past years outside voter registration efforts locally have caused some confusion, according to Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler. He has said his office has received a number of complaints, but added there have not been as many as during the 2012 election.

“I would like to say that it’s because we tried to be more proactive this year,” Schedler told The Advocate of Baton Rouge.

We hope it is because Louisianians have learned from past mistakes and want to be more aggressive.

More than a few national eyes are set on the race for the Senate seat now held by Democrat Mary Landrieu. A pair of Republicans, Rep. Bill Cassidy of the 6th Congressional District, and Rob Maness, who is being backed by the tea party, are battling for that spot.

With the fight in Washington for control of the Senate going down to the wire, this race has taken on great interest nationally. With that have come more than a few interested parties into our state.

With some much on the line, more than a few stories of voter fraud have circulated. There is never a way to eliminate all of the fraud from happening, but we can keep the numbers down by doing our part and registering to vote.

The more of us who register and take part in the process, the less chance somebody will vote for us.

We want Louisianians deciding the issues that concern Louisiana.

Schedler said about 86 percent of the eligible voters in the state are already registered.

“Louisiana doesn’t have a trove of unregistered voters out there to reach,” he told The Advocate. “The universe of unregistered voters is getting thinner and thinner.”

That is a good thing, but we want to eliminate all chances of somebody stealing Louisianians’ future from our own fingertips. The only way to do that is for as many of us as possible to take an active part in the voting process.

One vote may not change an election, but it sure could go a long way in making sure our state’s issues are decided by our state’s voters.

And that is all anybody can hope for when it comes to an election.

(MGNonline)