Protect Your Right to Vote

Do you live in a swing state? Do you live in a state where there are burdensome voter ID laws, or in which voters may have been carelessly purged from voter rolls? According to the New York Times (10-9-08), tens of thousands of voters in Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, and Nevada-all swing states-have been removed from the rolls or blocked from registering to vote. Other states have also had problems. Some groups are in particular danger of having their right to vote threatened, such as college students, minorities, and people who have recently lost their homes due to foreclosure. Here are some suggestions to help you protect your right to vote.

1) Vote early if your state allows it, and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Many states allow no-excuse absentee voting, meaning that you don't have to provide a reason for wanting to vote absentee. You'll avoid the long lines and chaos on November 4, and you'll also avoid finding out at the last minute that you were incorrectly purged from the voter rolls. If you don't know if your state allows early voting, check out vote411.org, sponsored by the League of Women Voters Education fund.

2) Check your registration status. Make sure you haven't been mistakenly purged from the voter rolls. You can check your status by calling 1-866-our-vote, or you can check online by visiting the website 866ourvote.org.

3) Know your rights. For example, you can still vote in the location where you attend college even if your parents claim you as a dependent on their taxes. Also, you cannot be denied the right to vote if your home recently went into foreclosure. Visit 866ourvote.org for fact sheets on federal protections and protections in your state for voters facing foreclosure.

4) Avoid wearing campaign T-shirts, buttons, and hats to the polls. This may be seen as campaigning and you could be turned away.

5) Know what type of identification to bring with you to the polls. Some states in particular are impacted by voter ID laws. They are Arizona, California, Colorado, DC, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. If you reside in one of these states and haven't already voted early, visit the People for the American Way (PFAW) website for state-specific information regarding identification needed at the polls.

Voting is your right as well as your responsibility. With the economy in the toilet, the war in Iraq, and our current health care crisis, among other issues, this election could not be more important. Don't let anyone take your voice away from you.

Sources

Ian Urbina, "States' Actions to Block Voters Appear Illegal", New York Times.com