We all cringe when summoned to it, and can feel bothered when we have to serve it. Yes, I got picked for jury duty. And even though I find it a bit annoying that I have to spend more than a week fulfilling my civic duty, in the end, I am happy to serve.

I am happy because it reminds me of other civic duties we all share and should take pride in. In light of upcoming events, I am thinking of one obligation in particular: voting.

Sadly, I know too many people who aren’t registered to vote or don’t vote at all. This absolutely blows my mind (and not in a good way), because I feel voting is a right we should all cherish and fully embrace as United States citizens.

In preparation of the upcoming election, Tuesday, Nov. 4, I devote this column to educating our politically-challenged peers on how to register to vote, learning more about the candidates and issues, and finding events supporting the political process and its constituents.

The requirements are simple. You can register to vote in California if you are: a U.S. citizen, a California resident, at least 18 years of age on or before the next election, not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction, and not declared mentally incompetent (a.k.a. Republican) by court action.

If you meet these criteria, you can register in three easy ways.

First, you can complete the California Secretary of State online registration form by visiting https://ovr.sos.ca.gov/votereg/onlinevoterreg. A completed form will be mailed to you to sign and return.

A second option is to pick up a postcard registration from several public offices, such as the DMV, post office or public library.

Third, you can have a postcard mailed directly to you by calling the Registrar of Voters office at 858-565-5800.

If you already registered and want to check your status, visit www.sdcounty.ca.gov/voteres/Eng/Ereg.shtml.

Remember, the last day to register to vote for the November election is Monday, Oct. 20, so don’t procrastinate!

At this point, you should know who the Republican and Democratic candidates are running for president, as well as who you are voting for (Barack Obama). But if you are clueless as to who else will be on the California ballot, you can download the official Certified List of Candidates, published by the California Secretary of State – which lists the presidential, congressional and legislative candidates – at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/election_2008/shortlist_gen2008.pdf.

If you find researching information on all of the candidates a bit difficult, check out the League of Women Voters’ Web site at www.smartvoter.org. The Web site gives information provided by each candidate, such as biographical highlights, top priorities if elected and key endorsements.

Figuring out what state and local propositions are going to be on the upcoming ballot and what each one represents can be a long and daunting task. However, the official state Voter Information Guide, found at www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov, has information on all of the propositions slated for the statewide ballot. It also includes summaries, pro/con arguments, supporters and opponents, independent analysis by the state’s Legislative Analyst and the full text of each measure.

Furthermore, information on local propositions, such as summaries, impartial analysis from the County Council, and pro/con arguments, can also be found on the League of Women Voters’ Web site, www.smartvoter.org.

Speaking of propositions, Joan Rivers is joining the fight against Proposition 8 by bringing her hilarious one-woman show, “A Brief Intercourse,” to the Birch North Park Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit the “No on Prop 8” campaign, which aims to defeat the ballot measure which, if passed, will ban same-sex marriage in California.

Tickets are $53, $78, or $103, and can be purchased by phone at 619-239-8836, in person at the box office on Tuesdays through Friday from noon to 4 p.m., or online at www.birchnorthparktheatre.net.

VIP dinner and theater packages are also available at Hawthorn’s Restaurant Lounge, located in the theater’s lobby. For more information, visit www.hawthornssd.com, or call Michael Mack at 619-602-3453.

The Birch North Park Theatre is located at 2891 University Ave. and Hawthorn’s Restaurant Lounge is located at 2895 University Ave.

As a nod to my Asian peeps, the San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF) launched a non-partisan campaign entitled “Reel in the Vote” to encourage more Asian Pacific Islander Americans to participate in the democratic process.

According to the festival’s Web site, “statistics show Asian Pacific Islander Americans have the lowest rates of voter participation among all ethnic groups, and Asian American women have the lowest rates of voter participation among all groups, with less than one quarter of eligible voters actually registering to vote.” As a response, the SDAFF challenged filmmakers to make a public service announcement (PSA) promoting civic responsibility and democratic participation in the electoral and public policy process. The winning PSA will be screened before films. The festival will also host a voter registration drive.

Enough talk about voting … this a film festival, right? In its ninth year, the SDAFF will showcase more than 130 short and feature films, including my favorite part of the festival, a collection of 10 gay short films titled “Love is Queer” on Saturday, Oct. 11. Other highlights include a “Free Films at Four” series offering free films to the public at 4 p.m. from Monday, Oct. 13 through Thursday, Oct. 16; and a free collection of seven short films that confronts Asian Pacific Islander voter apathy, and celebrates heroes of democracy called “Reel in the Vote” on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

The SDAFF runs from Thursday, Oct. 9 through Thursday, Oct. 16, at the UltraStar Mission Valley at Hazard Center, located at 7510 Hazard Center Drive. For all there is to know about the film festival, visit www.sdaff.org.

Although this may not have much to do with politics, the month of October seems to be celebrating all things Italian with another film and outdoor festival.

The 14th Annual Little Italy Festa Celebration takes place on Sunday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Little Italy, in what has become the largest single-day Italian festival outside of New York City. More than 150 food, art and retail vendors will be on hand to help celebrate Italian cuisine, culture, music and art.

For more information, check out www.littleitalysd.com/festa.

From Friday, Oct. 3 through Monday, Oct. 20, the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla and the Museum of Photographic Arts is presenting the San Diego Italian Film Festival. The festival consists of 20 major, recently released Italian films with English subtitles. Entrance to the films is free and on a first come, first served basis. Visit www.sandiegoitalianfilmfestival.com for all the info.

Don’t forget to register to vote by Monday. Oct. 20 and vote on Tuesday, Nov. 4! Salute!