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Cook County Officials Launch Major Voter Registration Drive

CHICAGO (CBS) -- On the day after the first presidential debate, the Cook County Clerk's office was hosting nearly 100 voter registration events across the county to mark National Voter Registration Day.

Clerk David Orr joined several CTA workers at the 95th/Dan Ryan station on the Red Line.

He said your vote makes a difference.

"In 1983, when there was a three-way race for mayor, and people said this particular case that 'The African-American community, they're not going to vote,' and it was an amazing turnout, and it affected history, electing Harold Washington," he said.

Orr said the event was not timed to come after the first presidential debate, but for National Voter Registration Day, which just happened to fall on the day after the debate.

"So that's good for us, because of the interest in last night's debate. How important is it to vote? A lot of people think … what's my vote going to mean? Look at how much voter suppression is going on around the country," he said.

To find out if you're registered to vote in Chicago, you can visit the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners website. Voters in suburban Cook County can check at the Cook County Clerk's website.

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