In nearly 20 states, TODAY October 6 is the last chance to make sure you're registered. And for the list of persons who have been diverted from the rolls for an incomplete or inactive registration—projectvote2008.org website posts a spreadsheet from a bunch of swing jurisdictions—a voter usually faces the very same deadline to fix the info to avoid getting bumped to a provisional ballot on Nov. 4.
The states with today the last day to register include:
COLORADO, OHIO, FLORIDA, LOUISIANA, INDIANA, GEORGIA, PENNSYLVANIA,
VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, D.C., NEW MEXICO (10/7 for N.M.), KENTUCKY, MISSOURI (10/8 for Mo.), HAWAII, ARKANSAS, ARIZONA, WYOMING.
You can check online now that your registration is active and your name hasn't been purged from the rolls – as happened to Charles Coxwell of Cobbs Cty, GA because he hadn't voted since 2004, or hasn't landed on a challenge list like the one that snagged Kevin Furey, a Montana Army reservist who,
before heading to deploy in Kuwait, sent a mail FW card to the post office which triggered the state GOP's party challenge to his right to vote.
Procedures are in place now that void the voting registration or ballots of people who are truly eligible to vote in battleground states.
One of those persons could be you — or the senior citizen you legally registered in a canvass last week.
A lot of the states with Monday deadlines are critical and vote-rich.
Don't let your county Board of Elections disqualify you. I've inserted below for some of these states the last-minute registration procedures in place.
Now is the time to check on your existing registration, you can pretty much do that online from the database connections, either officially from here (left column), or a second resource is here.
Please take the steps to confirm your name isn't crossed off the rolls - especially if your state implements stricter "no match" rules which can cover middle names and initials left off a record (like the scouring Florida is doing for voters who have registered since Sep. 8). Voter ID requirements come into play too.
Incredibly, 4 of the top 6 elections officials in Wisconsin were tripped up when a strict database match was attempted of their names and numbers. But even that no-match fiasco has not deterred the state AG for Wisconsin, J.B. Van Hollen (R), from suing his own state to make Wisconsin reinstate the exact match standard for more voters.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The four failing the initial check were:
* Thomas Cane, the board's chairman. He was listed by that name on voter records but as R. Thomas Cane on driver records.
* Gerald Nichol, who had an incorrect birth date on one set of records.
* William Eich, who had a middle initial on his driver's license but not on his voter registration form.
* Gordon Myse, who had a middle initial on his voter registration form but not on his driver's license.
" ....The [Wisconsin] Government Accountability Board, which runs state elections, reported recently that 22% of those checked so far resulted in mismatches, often because of typos or slight variances in people's names." (So why is van Hollen trying to reinstate the unforgiving matching?)
Below are the requirements for a few battleground states
COLORADO,
OHIO,
FLA,
MICH,
GEORGIA) where registration will close today, and/or early voting sites are open now.
Overall, those at greatest risk for having a ballot set aside for unconfirmed registrations are:
- people who are newly registered and did not bring the voter registration form in person to the Elections official
- people with dual or hyphenated last names that may differ on a driver's license and a voter registration record, such as Spanish-surnamed persons
- voters in states with stricter ID laws
- voters in states implementing exact match rules, such as Florida.
Here is info needed for registering for several states. (The links up top can take you to the sites for your own state.)
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COLORADO - Must register ahead by TODAY (10/6) to vote.
Early voting in Colorado begins on Oct. 18 but you must be registered first by today.
This form from the Secretary of State's site can be filled out ahead (pdf, form in English or pdf, formulario de solicitud de inscripci de votante [Spanish]) and brought to county registrars [see the clickable map locator for county clerk and recorder offices.
Colorado's form is a combination form to either register &/or to get a mail-in ballot application. Be sure to check every field is entered where it's marked as "required" to answer, such as age 18 by election day and Are you a US citizen, date of birth, male/fem.
For the ID section for Registering / note the sequence of check-boxes:
If you don't own a Colorado driver's license or a revenue ID #, then mark the checkbox that says "I do not have ...". And you will write in the last 4 digits of your Social Sec. #.
If you have none of those IDs or a social sec. #, then you must also check the box that says "I do not have a Social Security Number." In that case, they will assign a number for the purpose of registering.
If you were registered at a different address and need to change your registration to match your new address, then fill in the Previous residence info, and date of move.
The Permanent or Current-Year mail-in ballot sections are optional. Finally, sign and date the form, bottom left. |
Important note for Colorado - When you actually vote, additional ID proof will be required. But for registering, only the info shown above is needed.
The SoS site shows a county Watch List that reports Denver County, Douglas, Montrose, Pueblo, and Routt counties as having fallen short with election procedures in previous years. Also a note that Montrose, Pueblo, and Routt were removed from the watch list and no longer merit extra scrutiny.
General site Elections Division for Colorado is found here.
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FLORIDA
TO VOTE in Florida on NOV 4, you must be registered BY TODAY Monday 10/6
IF YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE IN FLORIDA SINCE SEPT. 8, then your new registration is being checked against stricter EXACT matching (middle initials left out, etc.) than for long-time registered voters, and election officials will need further confirmation to keep those registrations as valid for vote counting. More info below
Also when you vote on election day, you must vote in the precinct where you live, which should be the address that was logged to your voter registration card.
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On Election Day, you will need to bring an adequate ID doc (see info below) that establishes your identity.
From the Fla. Secretary of State's site, this will be required at the time you cast a ballot to prevent being shunted off to provisional voting (a placebo ballot).
At the polls, you will be asked to provide a valid picture identification with signature. The following photo ids will be accepted:
Florida driver's license | Florida ID card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles | U.S. passport |
Debit or credit card | Military ID | Student ID |
Retirement center ID | Neighborhood association ID | Public assistance ID |
If your photo identification does not contain your signature, you will be asked to provide an additional identification that includes a signature.
Note that according to SoS Kurt Browning's site info, if the Florida address on the ID is not up-to-date with your most recent address, that is okay as long as your current address is the same as the voter registration address on record with the Board of Elections. So the ID you bring to the poll is used to establish who you are (identity), not to prove street address.
"Will be resolved"
For any new voter whose Florida registration application was received on or after Sept. 8, the exact match cross-check is made against numbers in the Social Security Administration and Motor Vehicles databases.
Kurt Browning has written that any mismatches in nicknames and typos "will be resolved" – by manual review by the state's Bureau of Voter Registration Services employees.
But be aware, these databases are rife with typographical errors that generate mismatches, even though this kind of matching is being applied across a number of states this year. The federal SS Number Identifier ["Numident"] system standalone has errors at a rate of 4% for names and SSNs. |
The match process in Florida works like this. For creating a new registration, the applicant has to supply either their driver's license #, state ID card #, or last 4 digits of the SSN.
If the application record isn't a match in the cross-check of DMV and SS Administration records, Browning says the Bureau is supposed to do manual checks to look for typos or nickname differences.
And if that review is not deemed a match, then Browning says the Bureau would notify the voter so the he or she can bring proof before the election: by either presenting ID in-person, or delivering an ID photocopy by fax, email or snail mail. For such a mismatch, the person is not yet registered until acceptable ID is shown that gives evidence of place of residence and of identity.
Once this is satisfied, a voter is eligible to cast a regular ballot. If the mismatch is not resolved, it can be a provisional ballot.
Advocacy groups, including the League of Women Voters, don't want the error-prone matching implemented in the weeks before the election.
The upshot for Florida: if you registered recently, check with your County Supervisor of Elections [see lookup for offices], and make sure you are fully registered and matched.
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OHIO
Any Ohio new voter registration or a change of address must be processed by Today, Monday Oct. 6.
Ohio now has registration and same-day early voting open until today (Monday)
For early voting in Ohio, ID required:
"Many forms of identification will be accepted"
For Early In-Person and Absentee Voting -
The last four digits of voter's Social Security number; or your driver's license number; or
A copy of a current and valid photo identification, (i.e. Ohio driver's license, state ID card, government ID).
Photo identification must show name and address; or
A copy of a current utility bill (including cell phone bill), bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document that shows the voter's name and current address (including from a public college or university). |
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MICHIGAN
The rules in Michigan - You must register by today Monday, October 6. You can do this at the local clerk's office [clerk search] or at a Secretary of State branch office [use the branch office locator]. (If you want, you can print the application ahead from the site www.michigan.gov/sos . The pdf form is found here.)
The Mich. SoS site says:
You can register to vote for federal, state, and local elections by mail; at your county, city, or township clerk's office; or by visiting any Secretary of State branch office.
In addition, the following State agencies offer voter registration services to their clients: Department of Human Services, the Department of Community Health and the Department of Career Development.
If you present the form in person to register, you will write (1) the number of your Michigan driver's license or personal ID card # OR (2) the last 4 digits of your SSN if you don't have a Michigan license or personal ID card. Enter all info asked on the form, including date of birth. The registration form appears to need your signature and date of signature twice (part 3).
For registering by mail, the SoS site says this:
If you have never voted in Michigan and choose to submit this form by mail you must meet a new identification requirement provided under federal law. To comply with the identification requirement, you must:
(1) accurately enter your state issued driver license number or personal ID card number where requested on this form.
or
(2) send one of the following forms of identification when mailing this form to your county, city or township clerk: a COPY of a current and valid photo identification (such as a driver license or personal ID card) or a COPY of a paycheck stub, utility bill, bank statement or a government document which lists your name and address.
. . . . . . Note: The identification requirement in Michigan does not apply if (1) you personally hand deliver this form to your county, city or township clerk's office instead of mailing this form (2) you are disabled or (3) you are eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
The registration form appears to need your signature and date of signature twice (part 3).
By Michigan law, the registration and license addresses will need to be the same. But if your license address is out-of-date, the voter registration form can be used to synchronize the address of both, and then the SoS will mail you a sticker that will update the driver's license address to match the voter registration. |
Michigan does not have early voting; absentee ballots are allowed if you will not be available on election day, are >60 years, or would need assistance voting. First-time registrants need to register in person in order to be allowed to vote absentee. A first-time voter who registers by mail is not permitted to vote absentee, only at the polling place on Nov. 4.
Getting a State ID Card in Michigan
If you do not have a driver's license or other acceptable photo identification, you can get a state identification card at your local Secretary of State branch office for $10.
State ID cards are free to individuals who are 65 or older or who are blind. Cards are also free to those who have had driving privileges terminated due to a physical or mental condition, or who can show another good cause for the fee waiver.
Proof of identity and residency are required when applying for a state ID card.
Identification will also need to be shown at Michigan polling places on Election Day.
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GEORGIA - Register by today, Monday (10/6), to vote in November or for advance voting. Registration applications may not be made by fax in Georgia.
Check your registration is in force (that your name has not been purged) here.
Advance absentee voting is underway already in Georgia for those who are not available to vote in their precinct on Election Day.
You can find your GA county registrar's office here.
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The (pdf) registration form can be printed from here.
For the Georgia form, standard instructions stuff about your legal name, address, yada, yada; as for the gender and race info, the form states it is not mandatory to answer those questions.
ID number for registering: If you have a GA Driver's license or GA state-issued ID, write the number of it in the application. If you do not have one, you can instead write the last 4 digits of your SSN. If you don't have a SSN, then be sure to check off the box in part 5 that says "Check if you do not have ..." and the registrar will assign a number to your application.
Part 6 - both boxes - for citizenry and for age - must be checked. Then sign and date Part 6.
Part 8 - If you were registered at another address, enter the older address where asked in Part 8. This helps keep your registration from being tagged as a duplicate.
Note - If it is your first time registering to vote in the state of Georgia and if you decide to send the GA registration form in by mail, instead of in-person [must be postmarked by 10/6], then additional ID is required to be enclosed with the mailed application. It is stated on the application. If registering by mail, then insert a copy of valid "photo ID, a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address."
REQUIREMENT: If you are submitting this form by mail and you are registering for the first time in Georgia, enclose a copy of one of the following with your application: A copy of a current and valid photo ID, a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address.
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It is true also that once you are ready to cast your vote in person, you will then need to bring the photoID card with you for voting in Georgia.
However, if you go in person on Monday to simply register, then the numbers written on the form should be enough. That is, if you don't yet own a photo ID card so you give your SS number for the registration form, then after you have registered in person you still will have time to go acquire the license or state ID card.
Change of Residence - If you've moved within the same county, you can use the form to notify of the new address. See above.
Info for change of address
If you have already moved to a new county, then you are also supposed to use the form to notify of the new address, and a card will be sent to you for your new precinct. If you have previously registered at an address and you are moving on or after Oct. 6, then "you may vote in your old precinct for that election." It's a 30-day window up to the election.
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Note - I don't have the state-specific information compiled for other states. But be assured if you're a college student in Virginia (or any other state) that despite any registrar's scary notice to the contrary, you can register in your college state and claim it as your domicile. This hullabaloo was straightened out and cleared up. Any information that the state that you register in can affect your parent's tax status with you as a dependent or your health insurance or scholarships is a bogus claim. It is meant to hold down the number of college students voting through intimidation. No one has the right to query you about your "intent" for domicile any more than for any other non-student voter — that's discrimination against students and not allowed.