Make Sure You're Counted Nov. 2

[liz_marcs]

Regardless of your political persuasion, I think it's pretty clear that voting in the swing states is going to be nothing short of a mess.

Living in Massachusetts, I expect the lines to be long, but not particularly messy. New England is hardly what you'd call "in play" at this point (even Maine and New Hampshire appear to be going solid blue).

The Electoral Vote Predictor: 2004 has some very sound advice for people in swing states going to vote. With the massive voter suppression efforts underway (strangely enough, 90% of which are Republican...astounding that...you'd think they're worried for their Preznut or sumpin') and the mysterious case of the "missing" 60,000 absentee ballots for the heavily Democratic Broward County, we need to be preapred.

[Side note: I've worked for the U.S. Post Office. My dad worked for the U.S. Post Office. There is no fucking way the U.S. Post Office lost 60,000 absentee ballots all going to the same county. There's no way they even lost a few thousand of those ballots. A few hundred ballots, maybe. But 60,000? Unh-unh. No. Not buying. If the U.S. Post Office said they never got them--which is what the U.S. Post Office is saying--then guess what...I believe the U.S. Post Office.]

At any rate, whatever you're voting the the Crazy Dude with the Messianic and Daddy Complex Who Desperately Needs To Be Evicted From the White House** or Senator John Kerry (who was actually seen reading Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail during the Democratic Primaries), visit the Electoral Vote Predictor: 2004 for some tips.

The short version of the advice:

• First, be absolutely sure you are in the correct precinct. If you are in the wrong precinct, in most states, your vote won't be counted.
  
  
• If you are not 100% certain of your polling place, go to My Polling Place Dot Com and check.
  
  
• Alternatively, call the toll-free number 1-866-OUR-VOTE or your county clerk.
  
  
• If you are sure you are in the correct polling place and the officials claim you are not registered, ask for a provisional ballot and fill it out correctly. You are entitled to one by law. Politely, but firmly, insist on being given a provisional ballot.
  

**Don't click on the link that starts with "Crazy Dude..." You really don't want to do it. I'm tellin' ya, right now.

Wait...wait....

You clicked on the link. I knew you would. Couldn't resist, could you?

Try not to scream, okay?

Then again, if you read Richard Clarke's book you probably already figured this out.


ETA: Who on my FList was looking for the Ed Wood Horror/Porn film? I found Necromania

Comments

[maystone.livejournal.com]

Who on my FList was looking for the Ed Wood Horror/Porn film? I found Necromania

'Twas I. Thanks! Wow, that was fast; from the article I saw it looked like you'd have to do a direct buy from some shady guy in a back alley :)

I'm so stressed about this election, and the more I hear about the voting irregularities (I'm tryin' to be polite here) the more stressed I become. What happened to my country?

[bluegreensmoke.livejournal.com]

It reminded me to double check my precinct. I live practically on a county line so it's a little confusing here.

Precinct

[physicsteach.livejournal.com]

I must be spoiled or something, but I have a voter's registration card that has my precinct, polling place, state and federal legislative districts, city, park, library, school board, state university, judicial (state appellate and supreme) and county commission and sewage districts. And that's just the ones that have districts - doesn't include county-wide offices. Is it me, or is having a separate government body, for the sewers a bit much on the separation of powers thing?

It's much harder for me to figure out who to vote for, most of the time. This year the only tough decisions will be the top of the ballot and the piddly little offices that don't even warrant a newspaper endorsement.

I mean, Alan Keyes? Please, God, smite the morons who invited him to the dance. Smite 'em, I say. They managed to make the Republican party even less relevant here than they were in, say, August.

I think that's everything. Of ccourse, there's a half dozen elected offices at the county level, too: State's Attourney, Coroner, Clerk, Recorder of Deeds, and a few others. I think. I'm not sure, to be honest. I can't remember everything I'm supposed to vote for someone for. Especially things like "U of I trustee vacancy #2."

Personally, I'd be just as happy to let the Governor give the jobs to deserving corrupt politicians and such, just so I wouldn't have to feel bad that I have no idea as to either the job or the person running for it.

And that doesn't count the odd state constitutional amendment, either.

[iyalode.livejournal.com]

Your lj is a wonderful insight into the US election. I'm a little confused about this comment though First, be absolutely sure you are in the correct precinct. If you are in the wrong precinct, in most states, your vote won't be counted.

Does this mean if you're out of the precinct on the day of voting that you can't vote at all? I assume that if you know in advance that this is easily rectified by voting absentee- but such a procedure on election day would seems to actively discourage the process of voting. Like I said, I'm confused.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh, short hand for the citizens. Sorry.

Quick explanation: Yes, we can vote absentee-ballot, but the rules vary depending on state-to-state. Some states allow "early voting" and all you have to say is that you can't make it to the polls on Nov. 2 for various reasons. Other states make you "prove" that you're going to be "out-of-district" that day because of travel or because you are living temporarily elsewhere (as in the case of college students), or are living overseas.

This the case:

Each municipality is broken down by precincts and everyone in that precinct has to go to a central location to vote. If you are in a fairly large city with a dense population (I live in a city with a dense population), the voting location may not be clear because the polling places are physically close to one another. For example, the last town I lived in, the polling locations for two different districts were located in the same building, but in different rooms across the hall from one another.

In addition, the polling locations can be moved to a different spot if there are problems with the original location (handicapped access, access to parking, access to the population, access to public transportation, etc.)

In any case, if you don't double-check where you're polling place is located, you could very well end up in the wrong polling location. If you vote in the wrong precinct polling place, your vote may be discounted in many states.