Nashville: Don't miss Tuesday's voter registration deadline

• Make it a point to participate. Your vote is your voice.
• Tuesday is the last day to register to vote for the Aug. 6 Nashville general election.
• Local government is the one closest to the people and has the most effect on our daily lives.

A Fourth of July tradition in my home growing up involved standing around the piano with my family while my mother played and led us in singing patriotic songs.

We sang the "Star-Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America," among others, for hours.

This past weekend, which involved new traditions of enjoying hot chicken, craft beer and fireworks, I texted my mother to ask her why she started that tradition of patriotic singalongs.

A Cuban immigrant who came to the U.S. in the 1960s, my mother wrote me a two-page answer, but this was the sentence that struck me the most: "I will say that I taught you the National Anthem because I was and am appreciative of the opportunity my family and I had to have been welcomed in the USA where we built successful lives."

It's a sentiment that has been instilled in my siblings and me, sometimes subconsciously, and what led me frantically to get my driver's license, tag, library card and voter registration card during my first week in Nashville last year.

That brings us to the 2015 Metro Nashville municipal election.

If you have not registered to vote, Tuesday is the last day to do so for the Aug. 6 general election.

You can pick up a voter registration form from government offices such as the Post Office or a public library and turn it into the Davidson County Election Commission from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1417 Murfreesboro Pike or 800 Second Ave. S., fourth floor.

There are 126 candidates running for mayor, vice mayor, and at-large and district council seats.

Local government is the one closest to the people and has the most effect on our daily lives, from the condition of our sewer and water lines to our public transit to building permits.

Our quality of life is at stake in this election, and that's why our citizens should endeavor to participate as informed voters.

The Tennessean has worked to keep the public informed.

The editorial board has been broadcasting its meetings with mayoral and vice mayoral candidates live on Tennessean.com, and we will be publishing endorsements on Sunday and Monday for mayor and vice mayor, respectively.

We first met with mayoral candidates in February and have co-sponsored two debates. All mayoral, vice mayor and Metro Council candidates were invited to take the Ready to Serve assessment at The Tennessean to answer questions developed by the public regarding how much they know about city politics and explain what motivated them to run.

Most have come in to take the survey, and those results will be published starting on July 14.

Early voting starts on July 17 and goes through Aug. 1, and history tells us that 50 percent of voters cast their ballots during this period.

Whether during the early voting period or on Election Day, make it a point to participate.

Your vote is your voice.

David Plazas is The Tennessean's opinion engagement editor. Contact him at 615-259-8063, dplazas@tennessean.com, or via Twitter at @davidplazas.