Know your rights at the polls

2008-11-03T20:12:00.003-05:00

I sincerely hope that anyone eligible to vote is registered and can participate in tomorrow's very important election. I wanted to share the valuable information below that is not always made clear to us at the polls; it was emailed to me by my good friend Sacha (thanks Sach!) I encourage everyone to make your best efforts to get out and vote your conscience! Don't complain if you don't vote!!

Also, if you can, please take the time to share the link to the Essence article to all your family and friends, so everyone is aware of their rights at the polls!

Happy voting,
Lena

---------- Forwarded message ----------

This election is by no means a done deal. EVERY VOTE COUNTS. Please make
extra time in your schedules tomorrow to get to the polls. A couple things
to know

1. Please stay on line. Officials are expecting long waits tomorrow. Bring
snacks, bring water, play tetris on your cellphone, bring your blackberry
and email folks.... whatever helps you to get through. YOUR VOTE IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN EVER.

2. If you encounter problems or suspect wrongdoings at your poll location
call Election Protection at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

3. Note, should you encounter a problem casting your vote and all else
fails, ask for a Provisional (paper) ballot.

4. You must go to the polling location that you are registered at.

Below is voting advice from Essence Magazine

(http://www.essence.com/news_entertainment/news/articles/votingtips)

*1. Make sure you are registered to vote.*

Confirm your voter registration by calling your local election office or
checking online at www.eac.gov Depending on which state you live in, there
may still be time to correct problems. "In some cases, it may be a clerical
error that can be fixed," says Hillman.

*2. Get the exact location of your polling site.*

Polling locations change, so just showing up wherever you voted the last
time might not work out. "People lose valuable time by showing up at the
wrong polling place," says Hillman. "You can find out where to vote through
your local election office's Web site."

*3. Ignore suspect fliers on your car windshield. *

Mysterious fliers and automated phone calls—saying that you can vote on
Wednesday, for instance, or warning that you'll get arrested at the polls
for outstanding parking tickets—are already popping up around the country.
Simply stated, they're fake. "The only way to determine what's real is to
get the information from the elections office," says Hillman. "They won't
leave things on your car windshield or make robo-calls."

*4. It may not be too late—there are ten states where you can still register
to vote.*

For most of us, the last day for registration has already passed. But ten
states—Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota
(does not have voter registration at all), Wisconsin, Wyoming and
Connecticut (allows unregistered voters to cast a ballot for president
only)—offer same-day registration, allowing you to register and vote right
at your polling location.

*5. Don't leave without voting. *

If you registered, but poll workers say your name isn't on the list, don't
leave. You have the right by law to request a provisional ballot. It's used
when there's a question about whether a person is registered to vote.
"Officials will take a few days after the election to research the problem;
then people can follow up to find out if their vote was counted," says
Hillman.

*6. It's probably best to leave your campaign T-shirts and buttons at home.*

Laws on campaign paraphernalia vary, but in some states it is illegal to
wear anything touting your candidate to the voting booth. Check with your
local election office to learn the law in your state. "The polling place is
viewed as a safe haven, free from campaigning, for the purpose of casting a
vote. These laws mean that officials don't want to take any chance that
somebody coming in will start campaigning," says Hillman.

*7. Be prepared to show some ID. *

Some states require that voters show government-issued photo ID like a
driver's license or U.S. passport before they are allowed to vote. "Even
though some may not like the identification requirement, this is not the
time to challenge it," says Hillman. If you don't have the proper
identification, request a provisional ballot; you can present the necessary
ID to your election office after Election Day to ensure that your vote will
count.

*8. If you need help, you're allowed to bring a friend.*

Voters who need assistance at the polls—like the elderly, someone whose
first language isn't English or those with a physical disability, for
example— are allowed to bring somebody with them. "People can generally
bring the person of their choice," says Hillman. "If they don't have
anybody, they can ask for assistance from a poll worker. Nobody should ever
feel, if they don't understand how a machine works or how a ballot should be
read, that they can't ask for help."

*9. Sometimes, there can be a rational explanation behind a faulty voter
machine.*

You've likely heard reports of machines "switching" votes to a different
candidate during early voting, but the scenario may be less conspiring than
it sounds. "The instances where that has happened, the touch screen was very
sensitive," says Hillman, who argues that if you hit the space between two
names, the machine can misread your vote. When that happens, the touch
screen lets you correct it. If there really is something wrong with the
machine, request an emergency paper ballot, available specifically for cases
of malfunctioning machines.

*10. If you see something, say something.*

Speak out about anything fishy at the polls. "If you have any kind of
complaint about the voting process, you are entitled to file an
administrative complaint, which has to be handled by the election office,"
says Hillman.

*Need immediate help or further assistance, call Election Protection
(866-OUR-VOTE), a voter hotline staffed with lawyers and trained volunteers.

In Lena's World

Know your rights at the polls