IT’S TIME TO GET READY TO VOTE

Voters arrive and depart during early voting at a polling place at the Wicomico County Youth and Civic Center in Salisbury, Md., after Superstorm Sandy passed through in October 2012. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

If ever there was an election with a lot riding on it, it’s definitely the US presidential vote this November. Given that the ballot process can be somewhat complicated and 16 states have new voting rules for 2016, we wanted to make sure no one is left unprepared.

Early- and absentee-voting deadlines are fast approaching, as are those for new-voter registration, so check this state voting requirement tool from the US Vote Foundation to find out what the deadlines are in your state. You can also find out whether you need to bring ID to the polls..

A number of states still have primaries to look forward to, so check out this listing of those voting days offered by MyTimetoVote.

We will post an update to our 2014 Voter Guide with more information on the candidates and issues in state and local races as we get closer to the general election. In the meantime, you can find out where the presidential candidates stand on 61 issues via ProCon.org.

Don’t forget to check out who is telling the truth and who has been caught with their “pants on fire” by viewing the Pulitzer Prize-winning Politifact, as well as FactCheck.org at the Annenberg Public Policy Center, run by former Moyers & Company guest Kathleen Hall Jamieson. Both websites check politicians’ statements for accuracy.

And make sure to follow all that’s happening in the dark-money, outside-influence, unlimited-campaign-spending world by reading our new weekly feature, This Week in Political Money.