Nobody wants to be left behind. Hawaii used to be a place where we were ahead of the game. Somehow we have fallen behind. Who is responsible for deciding if we make progress — or not?

The answer is: all of us, and those we elect to represent us. We look to our leaders to do right by us, whoever we are. Would it be a true democracy if we do not have a say in who gets elected? Not having easy accessibility to voting silences people. Sometimes it silences whole communities, people who live in rural areas, people who cannot make the time between multiple jobs to attend to things like voter registration.

Our switch to vote by mail (VBM) this election year is a good step forward to improving access to democracy. Enacting automatic voter registration (AVR) would make VBM work better by ensuring that essential voter information is updated promptly every time someone applies for or renews their driver’s license or gets a state ID.

People would have the choice of declining to have their information automatically transmitted to the state Office of Elections — so there is NO compulsion to vote. The automatic transmission of information is efficient and saves time and money. We should welcome AVR in Hawaii. It is encouraging that House Bill 2119 and Senate Bill 2005 are being considered and have passed their first hearings.

In general, in our current political climate, it is clear that people are demoralized. We are close to losing faith in our government. It shows, as voter turnout is at an all-time low in Hawaii.

Those of us who are deeply and directly affected feel like the forgotten ones. We work two or more jobs to survive because our pay does not reflect the cost of living here. I am a professional with a full-time job, but I still have to work at multiple jobs to survive.

Historically some of us have reason to distrust the government. The distrust is so high that many don’t even want to engage in our democracy and validate a system they see as illegitimate. But at the end of the day, we live in this community together and the decisions that are made on our behalf, whether we agree with them or not, affects our lives and our livelihood.

I, for one can no longer stand in the background passively allowing others to keep me on the hamster wheel. I am ready and arming myself with knowledge to help fight for all of our rights.

It is time for us to exercise our power and let more of our voices be heard. AVR can help rebuild public trust and restore faith in government by providing an efficient, user- friendly path to voting readiness.

This is the 100th year of women’s suffrage in America. Enacting AVR would be a great way to honor that anniversary and for our lawmakers to show that they welcome all voters.

Lena Mochimaru, a fine arts graduate, spends time supporting the houseless community and works for a nonprofit that serves grieving children.