‘08 CA: ALERT Are You Registered to Vote –For Sure?

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UPDATE  Election Day  If you know you are registered to vote but can’t verify –SEE VotePoke below –not listed in your polling place’s book –any kind of problem:  request an Emergency ballot. 

If poll worker offers Provisional ballot because they are out of Emergency ballots, use it.  Ask for and  KEEP receipt of your ballot.  Be polite at polling place, rudeness, temper  won’t change or help a thing, and:  poll workers are your own neighbors –they enable democracy.

Propositions –want to give a billionaire billions –pay for hospital decorations –cost those trying to hold onto their home over $500 –Every year for 30 years?   Read ballot pamphlet -websites –carefully.  Find out: Who put up the money to get it on the ballot.

After election day:  call Registrar’s office, give ballot (receipt) number –see if your registration valid, your vote was counted. 

First time to vote at the polling place:  you must bring ID –California driver’s license, passport, such with photo and something with residency current address, e.g., mail

Bring your voter pamphlet:  poll worker can use it to quickly find you in the book; you should use it to mark each item/vote quickly.

Not sure:  then don’t vote on a proposition, the rest of us can’t afford any more mistakes.

After election day:  call Registrar’s office, give ballot (receipt) number –see if your registration valid, your vote was counted. \

UPDATE  –it’s after 5:00 PM on the LAST day??? –You meant to –shudda -wudda –cudda  but: YOU’RE NOT REGISTERED???  You had TEN MONTHS…sheesh, okay, I’ll help you if IF:  you PROMISE you will DO YOUR HOMEWORK on California ballot Propositions.  –PROMISE? 

Okay:  You can still Register to Vote –until midnight tonight, October 20 –don’t forget your PROMISE on Proposition homework –in Southern California: 

LA County Registrar-Recorder Headquarters
12400 Imperial Hwy, Norwalk

UPDATE  National Election to decide who should be president:  first Tuesday of November (every four years), November 4, 2008

Californian:  You can find out if your registration is valid –are/are not registered, with a cool tool from MoveOn.org: votepoke
SEE below 

Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.  –To be Certain you can vote, you must be registered before the Deadline: 15 days prior to election.  If not REGISTERED: register pronto, you way don’t want to be in with the last-minute crowd. 

                                              

You Have Choices
You can register to vote: two ways –on the Internet –In person.

~Register via Internet

a.) Click on a link in Sidebar –under “Los Angeles – Gov” ====>

b.) Google it yourself: “Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters” –website

c.) Haven’t voted in a while –not sure Registrar has you listed –don’t know?  MoveOn.org sent me an e-mail with a cool link they created, to verify if you are registered.  –If you aren’t:  it has a link to register on-line.  Verify here:

MoveOn.org:  Use VotePoke to make sure you can vote
Click Here

Note MoveOn.org form doesn’t allow “mailing” address; I wrote to them about it, but no reply; to use both residence and “mailing” address:  register using a hard copy

Note Sig If you register on-line:  you still need to actually sign the registration:  watch mail for the sig card, return it promptly; don’t receive within ten days:  call Registrar’s office 

Note Links No, I don’t make any money from clicks –No, I cannot see your information or  anything else, they are just links as in any blogroll, there for quick convenience.

~Register in Person

Pick up the Voter Registration form:
-Post Office
-most libraries
-Department of Social Services office
Call first to verify they have forms
-Registrar of Voters office, Norwalk –for Los Angeles county residents

-Fill in the form –on the spot –EVERY LINE
-MAKE SURE: SIGN it –no signature NO registration
-mail it immediately on leaving the building

Then You can decide, basically, the method to vote:
Polling booth in your neighborhood on Election Day or via mail before Election Day. Additionally, vote:  up to one week prior to election via electronic vote machine, various locations; by Provisional ballot; in an emergency - SEE Sidebar or Registrar of Voters website

Want to vote–
–on your schedule, at kitchen table of your choice? 
–but Your county will use the vote-stealing electronic ‘touch-screen’ “ballot” machines
–even though you will be temporarily outside the US on election day
–yet getting to polling booth will be physically challenging
–but you’re military posted outside the US? 
Vote by mail:

~Request Mail-In ballot form here
-when you receive the form:  mail it in NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 23, 2008
-ballot will be sent to you, with deadline for mailing it

California Primary Election: February 5, 2008. –Which means register no later than January 21. NOTE: Monday January 21 is US national holiday, federal & state offices closed in California.

If You Are Curious…
-Party Affiliation: choose one
To be candid, California rules have changed –so many times, I’m not clear any more, but it used to be:  if you select “Independent” –you are not allowed to vote in the Primary election.  Could have changed, again.   It’s not fair or smart, but I can’t fix it and neither can you, so to be certain you can vote:  check BOX next to a main Party, e.g. “Democrat.”

UPDATE “Independent“ –Primary Election
I slogged through a lot of fine print; currently:  if you register as “Independent” –Decline to State (DTS), you cannot vote in the Primary election –with one exception.  Chairman of Democratic Partystates: “Independent (DTS) voter welcomed –allowed to vote.” Not so for “Republican” “Libertarian” or “Green” Party.  So:  to be able to vote in California Primary election check box next to “Democrat.”

General Election
–”Independent” –not allowed to vote in Primary election…Yup, it’s goofy, unfair, probably should be illegal; but in General Election my polling place: always has a booth for “Independent.”  If you want it changed: write to your representatives SEE Sidebar for contact links. For more specific info: write to Registrar of Voters at the website, but don’t expect quick reply, they are swamped.

All of which proves:  parties have locked political choice –freedom.  daVine
Remedy:  I think EVERY resident (–entire country) should re-register –as
“Independent” –force ALL candidates and parties to step Up/work harder/offer Genuine choice/fight to get vote.

Address read this carefully
Under California law:  you have the right to use a “Mailing” address. USE IT –if you have
-identity theft problem
-court order protecting you from someone
-a stalker
-don’t want paparazzi/media weasels to find you
-any good reason to protect your residential address –But NOTE:

-You MUST also write your “residential” address on the form, though it will not be used –you won’t receive official election pamphlet or campaign advertising at your residence.  –Voting material will be sent to “mailing” address.  Believe it. I receive all election material at my “mailing” address, not at my “residential” address, for nearly two decades.

Use Common Sense
If you fear someone will find your “residence” address from the form -you want it confidential:  use someone else’s address, But write it down.  For future:  anything connected to voting you will be required to give it on the phone or on-line.  –Give the wrong “residence” address and you won’t get any help –considered ‘not registered.’

-If “residence” space blank:  registration won’t be valid –you won’t be registered to vote. That’s not fair –to students, homeless, new-job transferees, newly-divorced, etc., but that’s California Life.

Telephone
If you do NOT list a telephone number: registration NOT valid –you won’t be registered.  Believe it.  I’ve done voter registration:  workers cannot even turn in forms that don’t have “telephone” filled in.  Don’t have a phone? Too bad, government isn’t up to speed on Reality/ doesn’t give a damn.  Registrar workers will toss the form.

What happens to your phone number?  Campaigns –they are allowed and do call registered voters.  To receive calls from pollsters, candidates’ and proposition supporters, invitations, etc:  use the phone number you won’t mind receiving such calls. 

You don’t want any to callyou?  Hmm…well, you could use my phone number… care to guess what it is?  –You did NOT read that here…lol….

E-mail
If you don’t have or don’t want to give e-mail address:  not a requirement.  But if you do list it:  expect to receive campaign and related e-mail –and by law it will include a link to un-subscribe from such.

NOTE  Ex convict? DON’T be too sure that you cannot vote –you MAY be eligible.  SEE:  Sidebar link or Registrar of Voters website.

NOTE  Military –posted out of the US?  There may not be enough to time to register and receive voter information –but register NOW anyway, so you can vote in General Election in November.

NOTE  Absentee ballot
if you are:
-frequently out of town
-disabled, elderly/infirm
-live in remote/rural area with less than 90 residents
-reside in area that uses electronic “vote” machines

Not sure if your polling place will have electronic touch-screen “vote” machines? 

Order: Absentee ballot
We lost excellent LA County Registrar: she quit over those easily-hacked criminal machines. –California Registrar: has approved “vote” machines for some counties; others refused to allow election-stealing machines.

When you receive the election pamphlet: turn to back cover
–fill out the form to request “Absentee Ballot“

Republican Party: well-know the country is leaning towards electing Democrats; will do whatever it takes to put another Republican in the White House.  One easy way: “vote” machines –NO PAPER trail –EASY to break into –EASY to change votes –NO WAY to PROVE how many votes candidates received.

Don’t believe your vote can be/will be changed?
SEE “US Census Bureau Report – 2004 Election“
and “GAO Report to Congress 2004 Election” –documents:  votes were altered –leading to Oval Office occupant “elected” to “second” term (he wasn’t elected first time, either).  But, Oops:  his pals changed too many votes –more votes “for” him in seven states than registered voters.

If you care enough to Register to vote: Do a better job than the media
Do your homework –before you give away your vote.  LOOK at record.  Pretty words -scripted emotion -promises without history and proof:  ignore.  Read candidate’s Positions on Issues –and between the lines, it Matters. 

Who is supporting your candidate choice?  –Listed on their website, who isn’t –but should be?  –Money –from lobbyists -special interest group –interests you don’t agree with?  Those Won’t get ‘better’ –after the election. 

Emotion:  doesn’t count
Look at blogs –read what opponents say –website of other Parties, about the candidate you’re thinking of choosing?  There probably hasn’t been an election this important since 1930s, during Great Depression. 

If you aren’t willing to make Informed choice:  don’t vote.

My view: best vote method Inka-jet
–Voter makes a black dot in the hole of selection, vote counted by bar code scanner. Recorded quickly, paper trail, easily repeated for re-count. ALL voting in the US should be done that way –but it isn’t, in states where one Party intends to steal…. In some US states: voting is actually worse than in primitive small countries…. WHERE are media stories about THAT –while they fill OUR airwaves with “news” about deeply over-paid/under-worked cele-brats.

Registration
Registering to vote: your name, yes, will be put into the pool to draw for jury duty .  Register a car with DMV:  also gets your name put into jury duty pool. That’s grassroots democracy –how we get “fair, impartial jury of peers.”  Would you rather have a bureaucrat –a politician decide who goes to prison -gets justice -compensation?  Don’t register.

Send this post  –to family –friends –neighbors –co-workers –PTA list –childrens’ teachers –your e-mail list, to make their life easy, make sure Californians have their say –on state and national options …daVine Remedy… http://davineremedy.wordpress.com

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tag: California General Primary Election federal candidate November 4 2008, February 5 2008, voter register registration verify Registrar Norwalk, address privacy private, party affiliation Decline to State DTS Democrats Republicans Los Angeles, Southern California

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Filed under California, Los Angeles, US Politics, Vote '08