Wake up, readers! If you have a problem with local, state or federal issues, or if you have a favorite candidate or cause, there is only one way to affect the outcome directly: by voting. Even so, a significant portion of qualified local adults will not bother to sign up to vote. You have the freedom to vote, or not vote, or even to register to vote. But sitting it out, in our view, does not equate to productive citizenship. The deadline to be registered to vote in the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 23. There are so many ways to sign up now that we will not enumerate them. However, we suggest you check with the local registrars’ offices to find out how and where to register, and to vote: in Gloucester, 6467 Main Street, Building One, 804-693-3659; in Mathews, Liberty Square Complex, 804-725-3200. You can actually check the Virginia Department of Elections website, elections.virginia.gov, to determine if you are registered, and if your registration is correct. It’s best to check ahead ...