Check Up On It
Things are tough out there - rising food costs, record high gas prices, real estate and housing problems - and with an already traditionally low voter turnout, perhaps the last thing on people’s mind is making sure that all their voter registration ducks are in a row. But this year, not doing so would be a real mistake:
If there’s Election Day disorder brewing for 2008, it might well be rooted in the nation’s mortgage-foreclosure crisis. In Columbus, across Ohio and in other key presidential battlegrounds, more people losing their homes means more registered to vote from addresses where they no longer live.
A timely and interesting exchange between John Gideon of VotersUnite.Org, Steve Rosenfeld of Alternet.org, and Mark Crispin Miller of News From the Underground on “what can be done to make a difference here?” puts it in perspective:
What we can do to remedy this is remind people to check their registration information and make sure they are registered. Some states and counties will help you, meaning that if you move in the same election jurisdiction they will update your registration information. But many will not. Ohio is not exactly among the list of voter-friendly states.
There doesn’t need to be an alarmist tone over this. Millions of people move all the time. People just have to add revising their voter registration info as they would have to change any credit card mailing address, bank records, etc. There is still plenty of time for people to fix things and not lose their right to vote. You start by telling anyone to call their local election office to see how or if they are listed in the voter registration records. Then you ask how they want voters to update those records; ei, do they need to reregister, can they come in and fill out a change of address form, etc.
To make it easy, VotersUnite has provided a handy dandy tool for all fifty States on how to check your registration.
While you’re at it, you might also want to find out definitively what the ID laws are for your particular state. Do you need photo ID or not? What about if you are a first time voter? What other forms of ID are acceptable? etc. etc. Most states have this info on their website (add “.gov” to your State name) or give a call to be directed to someone who can help you.