Submitted by OPALCO

Celebrate National Cooperative Month, in October, by registering to vote in the Nov. 6 general election. This is a great time to honor what it means to be a co-op member: democracy, community and resiliency.

Co-op members have the power of the vote. Americans hold more than 350 million co-op memberships and rural electric cooperatives, serving 75 percent of the country’s land mass.

OPALCO, the Orcas Food Co-op and San Juan Island Food Co-op encourage others to register to vote in the Nov. 6 general election, cast ballots and advocate for friends and family to show up too. Join for treats, refreshments and voter registration drives at the following co-op member appreciation events:

Thursday, Oct. 4

Eastsound OPALCO headquarters: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Orcas Food Co-op: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

San Juan Island Food Co-op: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Lopez Island OPALCO crew station: noon-2 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 11.

San Juan Island Food Co-op and San Juan Bakery: 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 18

Friday Harbor OPALCO office: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Voter registration forms are also available in OPALCO’s offices, or register online at www.sanjuanco.com/1225/Voter-Information. Check your name and address, online today, for any changes so your ballot arrives on time.

Co-ops Vote (www.vote.coop) is a non-partisan program developed by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives.

For the latest information about OPALCO, visit www.opalco.com; sign up for email newsletters at www.opalco.com/about/email-signup; and follow us on Facebook (Orcas Power & Light Cooperative) and Twitter (@orcaspower). OPALCO is the local member-owned cooperative, powering about 11,000 members on 20 islands in San Juan County since 1937.