m***@use.net
2008-10-31 16:19:21 UTC
How to Make Your Vote as Easy as Possible: An Online Guide
By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. Posted October 31, 2008.
How to vote early, find your polling place, check your registration,
know what ID to bring, report problems, call a lawyer and more.
Voting season is upon us, and thanks to the incredible efforts of
progressive organizations and inspired activists, election 2008 has
some dazzling online innovations to make voting as simple as possible
-- from comprehensive one-stop shop resources like the League of Women
Voters' Vote411.org site to the Moveon.org- and Catalist.us-sponsored
VotePoke.org tool that helps you check your registration status to the
Twitter Vote Report, an easy way for voters to use their cell phones
to report on problems that they face, be they long lines, voter ID
issues or problems with student voting.
Here is a list of resources and tips for how to use the best online
tools to make voting as simple as possible and how you can protect
your vote:
1. Early voting
For early voting, which is an option in 31 states, people must go to
their county offices or an early voting center. EarlyVoting.net tells
you whether your state allows early voting and if there are
restrictions. Some states don't allow it unless you are ill, can't
leave work, etc. The bottom of the chart has specifics for each state.
GoVote.org helps find your polling place location for both early
voting and Election Day voting, based on your ZIP code and address.
You should call your county's election office to find out the hours
for early voting and whether your location will be open this weekend.
Some states are expanding hours. This link on the
OverseasVoteFoundation site is a national directory of county election
offices, phone numbers and other contact information. Its site is
absolutely the best for overseas voting questions.
2. Find out where your polling place is.
Early voting is generally at a county office building. For Election
Day, you have to go to polling places identified by precinct number.
There are a lot of online tools to find polling place locations, but
some have other useful features. The League of Women Voters'
Vote411.org site has a well-designed poll locator tool. When you get
to the page where you enter the street address, you can also download
a sample ballot as a PDF file and check your voter registration
status.
Google Maps also has a tool in conjunction with the League of Women
Voters that retrieves a map of your polling place, prints directions,
and has contact information for local election officials. GoVote has
polling place information that is especially useful for student voters
and can be accessed by text messaging. If you use this tool and no
match comes up, you will be referred to the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline
manned by lawyers.
3. Check your registration status.
Every state except North Dakota requires that voters register before
voting. A handful of states (Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana,
New Hampshire, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Wyoming) will let people
register on Election Day or during early voting. Connecticut allows
people to register on Election Day but only to vote for president.
For the rest of us, registration for the 2008 presidential campaign is
mostly closed. One issue this year that will affect some voters is
whether their voter registration records are current. Some may be
missing for a variety of reasons. Most people won't experience this,
but it's smart to check if your registration is in the system. At the
same time, you can see what ID you'll need.
Not all states have online voter registration verification tools. But
VotePoke.org has a tool (sponsored by MoveOn.org and Catalist.us) to
check registration status. If it's inconclusive, try state-specific
tools on LongDistanceVoter.org, or as a last resort, call your county
election official to verify your registration.
People who show up to vote but whose names are not on voter lists will
be given a provisional ballot, which will have to be verified after
Election Day to count. The rules for counting these ballots vary from
state to state. In some cases, voters might have to show up at the
county election office within a few days with ID or documents to
verify their registration information.
4. Make sure you bring the right ID to vote.
Every state has different voter ID laws. CanIVote.org, a site run by
the National Association of Secretaries of State, has an easy online
search tool for voter ID and other voting information. The Fair
Elections Legal Network also has a great resource page with specifics
for battleground states (Ohio, Colorado, Florida, Michigan,
Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, Georgia and
Pennsylvania). New voters, take note: You often have to present a
photo ID or more specific form of ID. You can always call the county
election office if there is a question.
Virtually all of the threatened partisan challenges to new voters will
be based on a probably false accusation that a voter's address (or
legal residence) is not the same as it is on their voter registration
form. If you check your registration status, and bring the right ID,
no one can stop you from voting.
5. Find out what kind of voting machines are in your county.
Different states are using different voting systems, some for the
first time. Find out what kinds of machines are being used in your
state and county at Verifiedvoting.org. They can vary from county to
county. The site's "verifier" tool also has contact information for
county election officials -- names and numbers -- below the county
voting machine information.
6. Find out what problems exist in your state.
There are many ways to find out what is happening in your state or
county with voting, both before Election Day and on Election Day.
The election protection wiki site has an interactive map with the
latest problems in your state. The VotersUnite.org Web site also has
the latest election news by state where you can see if there are
issues that might affect you, and it has a voting problems database
that is searchable.
7. Call a lawyer if you experience problems while voting.
Voters should first ask poll workers for help if they experience a
problem voting. If you make a mistake on a paper ballot, ask for
anther ballot. If an electronic machine does not work, ask to use
another machine or for a backup paper ballot. At most polling places
there will a representative from the major political parties. Ask who
they are if your problem isn't being solved.
In the meantime, there are several state-of-the-art hot lines that
will help any voter. The biggest is 1-866-OUR-VOTE (administered by
the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law) and 1-888-Ve-Y-Vota
(administered by the National Association of Latino Elected and
Appointed Officials Educational Fund). These hot lines have legal
staff that will answer questions in real time and give advice,
regardless of political affiliation. They have 10,000 volunteer
lawyers who will answer questions, log problems and take legal action
if necessary. These election protection calls and problems are mapped
at ourvotelive.org.
Another hot line that records people's complaints and then forwards
the messages to local election offices and civil rights lawyers is
866-MY-VOTE-1. This service works with many AM radio stations
targeting minority communities. Its toll-free number provides polling
location information, registers and audio-archives voter complaints,
and connects voters with election administration officials in an
automated environment.
Remember when calling a hot line to leave your name and contact
information. Voting rights attorneys can't follow up if they don't
have that information.
8. Help document voting problems for voting rights attorneys and the
media.
Unlike in 2004, there are now many groups actively working to document
and publicize voting problems. This is important for many reasons.
First, problems have to be reported to the local county election
offices, as well as to civil rights lawyers and political campaigns,
if these voter advocates are to go to court to try to get a judge to
solve a problem. Second, the mainstream media often does not want to
cover voting problems, but they will not be able to ignore online
incident reports, videos and other documentary evidence. Finally,
unless this record is created during a presidential election, Congress
will not take these issues seriously and be forced to address problems
in the way we vote.
Calling the voter hot lines is a very good first step -- to help you
vote -- but there is more to do.
VideoTheVote.org is a national initiative to protect voting rights by
monitoring the electoral process. Citizen journalists -- ordinary
folks like you and me -- are organized to document election problems
as they occur. Then the footage is distributed to the mainstream media
and online to make sure the full story of Election Day gets told.
VideoTheVote.org also will collect and distribute cellphone photos,
but you have to sign up and have a compatible phone.
Twitter Vote Report is another initiative, under which voters can use
their cell phones to report on problems that they face -- long lines,
voter ID issues, problems with student voting or anything else. These
reports will be sent to the 866-OURVOTE reporting network feeding
legal action and will be used to produce reports via Google maps that
show hot spots and other trends.
VoterStory.org has launched a nonpartisan voter complaint system as a
networking resource for people who face difficulty casting a ballot
and for groups monitoring the polls on Election Day, Nov. 4. By
filling out a form on the VoterStory Web widget, voters will not only
have their stories heard; they will also have their complaints
promptly addressed by qualified organizations in their communities
through the 866-MY-VOTE1 hot line.
Another excellent source of information can be found at Mother Jones.
The "Steal This Election" Citizen Investigation Map is an easy and
interactive way to keep up to date on, and report any, voting problems
that are occurring in your area. As they direct on the website "simply
click on your state to see and record observations of the voting
process in your hometown this election season."
By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. Posted October 31, 2008.
How to vote early, find your polling place, check your registration,
know what ID to bring, report problems, call a lawyer and more.
Voting season is upon us, and thanks to the incredible efforts of
progressive organizations and inspired activists, election 2008 has
some dazzling online innovations to make voting as simple as possible
-- from comprehensive one-stop shop resources like the League of Women
Voters' Vote411.org site to the Moveon.org- and Catalist.us-sponsored
VotePoke.org tool that helps you check your registration status to the
Twitter Vote Report, an easy way for voters to use their cell phones
to report on problems that they face, be they long lines, voter ID
issues or problems with student voting.
Here is a list of resources and tips for how to use the best online
tools to make voting as simple as possible and how you can protect
your vote:
1. Early voting
For early voting, which is an option in 31 states, people must go to
their county offices or an early voting center. EarlyVoting.net tells
you whether your state allows early voting and if there are
restrictions. Some states don't allow it unless you are ill, can't
leave work, etc. The bottom of the chart has specifics for each state.
GoVote.org helps find your polling place location for both early
voting and Election Day voting, based on your ZIP code and address.
You should call your county's election office to find out the hours
for early voting and whether your location will be open this weekend.
Some states are expanding hours. This link on the
OverseasVoteFoundation site is a national directory of county election
offices, phone numbers and other contact information. Its site is
absolutely the best for overseas voting questions.
2. Find out where your polling place is.
Early voting is generally at a county office building. For Election
Day, you have to go to polling places identified by precinct number.
There are a lot of online tools to find polling place locations, but
some have other useful features. The League of Women Voters'
Vote411.org site has a well-designed poll locator tool. When you get
to the page where you enter the street address, you can also download
a sample ballot as a PDF file and check your voter registration
status.
Google Maps also has a tool in conjunction with the League of Women
Voters that retrieves a map of your polling place, prints directions,
and has contact information for local election officials. GoVote has
polling place information that is especially useful for student voters
and can be accessed by text messaging. If you use this tool and no
match comes up, you will be referred to the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline
manned by lawyers.
3. Check your registration status.
Every state except North Dakota requires that voters register before
voting. A handful of states (Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana,
New Hampshire, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Wyoming) will let people
register on Election Day or during early voting. Connecticut allows
people to register on Election Day but only to vote for president.
For the rest of us, registration for the 2008 presidential campaign is
mostly closed. One issue this year that will affect some voters is
whether their voter registration records are current. Some may be
missing for a variety of reasons. Most people won't experience this,
but it's smart to check if your registration is in the system. At the
same time, you can see what ID you'll need.
Not all states have online voter registration verification tools. But
VotePoke.org has a tool (sponsored by MoveOn.org and Catalist.us) to
check registration status. If it's inconclusive, try state-specific
tools on LongDistanceVoter.org, or as a last resort, call your county
election official to verify your registration.
People who show up to vote but whose names are not on voter lists will
be given a provisional ballot, which will have to be verified after
Election Day to count. The rules for counting these ballots vary from
state to state. In some cases, voters might have to show up at the
county election office within a few days with ID or documents to
verify their registration information.
4. Make sure you bring the right ID to vote.
Every state has different voter ID laws. CanIVote.org, a site run by
the National Association of Secretaries of State, has an easy online
search tool for voter ID and other voting information. The Fair
Elections Legal Network also has a great resource page with specifics
for battleground states (Ohio, Colorado, Florida, Michigan,
Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, Georgia and
Pennsylvania). New voters, take note: You often have to present a
photo ID or more specific form of ID. You can always call the county
election office if there is a question.
Virtually all of the threatened partisan challenges to new voters will
be based on a probably false accusation that a voter's address (or
legal residence) is not the same as it is on their voter registration
form. If you check your registration status, and bring the right ID,
no one can stop you from voting.
5. Find out what kind of voting machines are in your county.
Different states are using different voting systems, some for the
first time. Find out what kinds of machines are being used in your
state and county at Verifiedvoting.org. They can vary from county to
county. The site's "verifier" tool also has contact information for
county election officials -- names and numbers -- below the county
voting machine information.
6. Find out what problems exist in your state.
There are many ways to find out what is happening in your state or
county with voting, both before Election Day and on Election Day.
The election protection wiki site has an interactive map with the
latest problems in your state. The VotersUnite.org Web site also has
the latest election news by state where you can see if there are
issues that might affect you, and it has a voting problems database
that is searchable.
7. Call a lawyer if you experience problems while voting.
Voters should first ask poll workers for help if they experience a
problem voting. If you make a mistake on a paper ballot, ask for
anther ballot. If an electronic machine does not work, ask to use
another machine or for a backup paper ballot. At most polling places
there will a representative from the major political parties. Ask who
they are if your problem isn't being solved.
In the meantime, there are several state-of-the-art hot lines that
will help any voter. The biggest is 1-866-OUR-VOTE (administered by
the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law) and 1-888-Ve-Y-Vota
(administered by the National Association of Latino Elected and
Appointed Officials Educational Fund). These hot lines have legal
staff that will answer questions in real time and give advice,
regardless of political affiliation. They have 10,000 volunteer
lawyers who will answer questions, log problems and take legal action
if necessary. These election protection calls and problems are mapped
at ourvotelive.org.
Another hot line that records people's complaints and then forwards
the messages to local election offices and civil rights lawyers is
866-MY-VOTE-1. This service works with many AM radio stations
targeting minority communities. Its toll-free number provides polling
location information, registers and audio-archives voter complaints,
and connects voters with election administration officials in an
automated environment.
Remember when calling a hot line to leave your name and contact
information. Voting rights attorneys can't follow up if they don't
have that information.
8. Help document voting problems for voting rights attorneys and the
media.
Unlike in 2004, there are now many groups actively working to document
and publicize voting problems. This is important for many reasons.
First, problems have to be reported to the local county election
offices, as well as to civil rights lawyers and political campaigns,
if these voter advocates are to go to court to try to get a judge to
solve a problem. Second, the mainstream media often does not want to
cover voting problems, but they will not be able to ignore online
incident reports, videos and other documentary evidence. Finally,
unless this record is created during a presidential election, Congress
will not take these issues seriously and be forced to address problems
in the way we vote.
Calling the voter hot lines is a very good first step -- to help you
vote -- but there is more to do.
VideoTheVote.org is a national initiative to protect voting rights by
monitoring the electoral process. Citizen journalists -- ordinary
folks like you and me -- are organized to document election problems
as they occur. Then the footage is distributed to the mainstream media
and online to make sure the full story of Election Day gets told.
VideoTheVote.org also will collect and distribute cellphone photos,
but you have to sign up and have a compatible phone.
Twitter Vote Report is another initiative, under which voters can use
their cell phones to report on problems that they face -- long lines,
voter ID issues, problems with student voting or anything else. These
reports will be sent to the 866-OURVOTE reporting network feeding
legal action and will be used to produce reports via Google maps that
show hot spots and other trends.
VoterStory.org has launched a nonpartisan voter complaint system as a
networking resource for people who face difficulty casting a ballot
and for groups monitoring the polls on Election Day, Nov. 4. By
filling out a form on the VoterStory Web widget, voters will not only
have their stories heard; they will also have their complaints
promptly addressed by qualified organizations in their communities
through the 866-MY-VOTE1 hot line.
Another excellent source of information can be found at Mother Jones.
The "Steal This Election" Citizen Investigation Map is an easy and
interactive way to keep up to date on, and report any, voting problems
that are occurring in your area. As they direct on the website "simply
click on your state to see and record observations of the voting
process in your hometown this election season."