Protect YOUR Vote

PBS, via the Bill Moyers' Journal site, has offered suggestions on how to protect your vote in the upcoming election.

Protecting Your Vote

Steven Rosenfeld, author of COUNT MY VOTE: A CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO VOTING, has documented several potential problems voters may face at the polls in an article on ALTERNET, from voter purges and unprocessed registrations to a shortage of poll workers.

Election Protection, a non-partisan coalition, offers another online resource for voter education and protection through an informational Web site and an election hot-line (1-866-OUR-VOTE). They also offer a useful voting-checklist flyer you can print out and bring with you to the poll.

The Election Protection voting checklist:

Be sure you are properly registered.
Most states require voters to register in advance of an election (though some allow voters to register on Election Day). Deadlines range from 3 to 30 days before an election. To find out if you are properly registered, confirm your address, obtain a copy of a voter registration form, or learn about registration deadlines in your state, call 866-OUR-VOTE or, for more information about registration rules in your state go to www.866ourvote.org.

Be sure you go to the correct polling place.
In many states, if you vote at the wrong location, your vote will not be counted. If you are unsure exactly where to vote, find your polling location by calling 866-OUR-VOTE or by going to www.canivote.org.

Find out your options for convenient voting.
Many states allow individuals to vote prior to Election Day, either in person or by absentee ballot. Absentee voters typically must request an absentee ballot in advance. To learn about the options in your state, including how to obtain an absentee ballot, visit www.866ourvote.org, or call 866-OUR-VOTE.

Find out if you are required to show ID.
Every state has identification requirements for at least some categories of voters. Find out the rules for your state by visiting www.866ourvote.org, or calling 866-OUR-VOTE.

Review sample ballots and information about candidates and issues.
If you familiarize yourself with the layout and instructions of the ballot, you can prevent mistakes when you go to vote. Some local election officials will provide you a sample ballot if you request one. Also, know who and what you're voting for — you can research all candidates and ballot issues by contacting local civic groups or visiting www.canivote.org. If you have questions, concerns or problems, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE. Trained volunteers for the nation's largest non-partisan voter protection effort are available to answer your questions and help make sure your vote counts.

Video Your Vote

YouTube, the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos, has partnered with PBS to empower American voters to upload their Election Day voting experiences to YouTube at Video Your Vote. YouTube and PBS also will distribute 1,000 Flip Video(tm) camcorders through Pure Digital Technologies, Inc.'s Flip Video Spotlight Program so that participating non-partisan nonprofit groups and local PBS stations across the country can also capture polling place activity.

23 October 2008