Election Preparedness

We ALL need to confirm our voter registration.  In fact, if you've done so already, check again since unlawful purging of names from the rolls is ongoing in many states.

Even in states where registration deadlines have expired, it's still possible that some county clerks will allow you to show identification to them before November 4 so you can vote on a regular vs. provisional ballot.

You really don't want to use a provisional ballot if you have a choice. Large numbers of provisional ballots will be thrown away. (Note that some states allow provisional voters to take further steps for a limited time after the election so their vote can be counted.) Analysis of the 2004 election showed that a third of all provisional ballots - as many as 1 million votes - were uncounted, with similar results in 2006.

There are increasing stories every day about the millions of voters whose names have been "purged" from states' voter registration lists, have been "flagged" to be challenged at the polling place, or were never added to the registration rolls in the first place. How many millions of voters might that be? 39 states and the District of Columbia reported purging more than 13 million voters from registration rolls between 2004 and 2006.

Per today's NYT editorial, "For this election, voters need to be prepared to fight for their right to cast a ballot. They should try to confirm before Nov. 4 that they are on the rolls — something that in many states can be done on a secretary of state or board of elections Web site. If their state permits it, they should vote early. Any voter who finds that their name has disappeared from the rolls will then have time to challenge mistakes."

To correct or complete missing information for your voter registration - or to enable you to vote at all in many states, confirm the legal requirements and restrictions in your county for voter identification where applicable. According to a recent study for the Election Law Journal , one in 10 likely white voters do not possess the necessary identification. For African-Americans, the number lacking such ID is twice as high.

And while you're at it, help others in your community to ensure they've confirmed their voter registration and secured required voter ID - including those without access to the Internet or emails. Remember, the most vulnerable voting population are minority, young, low-income, elderly and newly-registered voters.