Register To Vote

by Bryan

8 comments

1 Rook { 10.05.06 at 12:21 pm }

See, this is why I like living in Minnesota. I am registered and never have to worry about getting dropped from the rolls. When I moved, I simply walked into my new polling place on election day and presented a utility bill in my name with my new address and voila! I was registered.

Then, the next year my voting area in my town was realigned and I was simple notified of the change, with no need for me to do any reregistering. So simple. So easy.

Leave it to you older types in Florida to make things difficult.

2 Bryan { 10.05.06 at 2:55 pm }

Wait until 2010 when everyone has to produce a passport, or other proof of citizenship, thanks to the Republicans in Congress.

My town has its own precinct and there aren’t adults 300 in town. It’s annoying at the polls when they ask me for my address, as the person asking lives four houses away.

These rules go back to segregation, when the intent was to make it difficult to vote.

3 The CultureGhost { 10.05.06 at 3:12 pm }

For the first time since I became a registered voter in 1978 (the only election I ever missed was ’86 when I moved to CA in late October) I am considering removing myself from the ranks of registered voters. I have given impassioned (read, slightly intoxicated) speeches to girlfriends at 2 in the morning about the importance of participating in the system by registering to vote and voting!

But now, I am so dis-illusioned by the system, its mechanics, its money and its bullshit that I feel the loudest protest I can make is by not participating in it any longer.

4 Bryan { 10.05.06 at 4:18 pm }

CG, I spent years in New York writing in names, because I wouldn’t vote for most of the people running for local office. I did it, because I felt the politicians didn’t want me to vote. I’m doing it in the Florida Senate race.

I’m trying to get even with the people who have highjacked this country. I don’t expect to win, but I want them to know I’m here and I know what they are pulling.

There have been a lot of close races in recent elections; a few local races were decided by the toss of a coin; so I don’t want to regret not voting.

5 Steve Bates { 10.05.06 at 8:41 pm }

Ever “written in” a name on an eSlate machine? (Diebold is surely similar.) I have… if you thought dialing 10 digits on an old dial telephone was a pain, just wait until you have to dial in a person’s name, letter-by-letter. In that case, it was my Democratic precinct-chair-for-life (what can I say; everybody likes him), who failed to file on time one year. eSlate is a major discouragement to “writing in” votes.

Your post made me check my voter registration one more time. It’s good through the last day of 2007, or until elections are indefinitely postponed by the people in power, whichever comes first.

6 Bryan { 10.05.06 at 8:55 pm }

We still use paper. There are a few of the new machines in the Supervisors of Election’s office, but they are only used for early voting and for people with special needs; The regular voting is with paper ballots and mark/sense readers. There is no difference in the ballots for regular voting and absentee.

As long as you vote at least every two years the registration is valid in this county, and probably all of the state, but I would guarantee it because every county essentially has a separate system.

7 andante { 10.06.06 at 9:21 am }

There’s an old saying….if you don’t vote, you can’t gripe.

Under the current regime, if you don’t vote, you can’t gripe about your vote being miscounted or not counted at all.

I’m getting absentee ballots for my entire family. At least it will add to the ballots someone will have to destroy.

8 Bryan { 10.06.06 at 10:00 am }

Anymore, absentees are the only ballots you can be sure may be counted.