Voting on Tuesday?...know your bill of rights.

[marmar]

Election Day is just four days away! REMEMBER TO VOTE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2006! Your vote is your voice, so make sure to use it! Also, be sure to remind your family, friends, colleagues and community members to vote as well! Drive them to the polls!

After the elections, on November 9th, 2006, the Rights Working Group, founders of the Liberty and Justice for All Campaign, will be holding a national strategy call so that we can all come together to discuss the election results and where we go from there. I urge you all to join the call! You can find details for the call in the events section of this newsletter!

News

Know Your Voting Bill of Rights
You Have The Right To . . .

? Vote at your poll even if your name does not appear on the voting list. Do not allow an election worker send you to another location. Ask for a provisional ballot. By law they must provide a ballot for you.
? Ask for Assistance. If the voting machine you are using is not functioning properly, if you have questions about how to use the machine, or if you are disabled you have the right to receive assistance. Do not be afraid to ask for help!
? Not show identification. Unless you are a 1st time voter who registered by mail, then you will need to show a photo id or sign an affidavit.
? Vote if you have been convicted of a past felony for which time has been served. Even if you are on parole.
? Cast your ballot even after the polls close at 8:00pm. Voters must be in line prior to the scheduled 8:00pm closing time.
? Request a ballot in English, Spanish or Arabic. Ask a poll supervisor for a proper ballot.
? Vote without being intimidated! You have the right to refuse to answer any questions asked of you while standing in line.


Don’t be Stopped from Making Vote Count
Voters Should Know Their Rights When They Cast Their Ballots on Tuesday

In the next few days, candidates across the political spectrum will be working overtime to bring their supporters to the polls on Nov. 7. Sadly, there's a flip side to the contest to maximize turnout: There will also be efforts -- less publicized, but intensely political -- to prevent certain people from voting.

To read the entire article, go to:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061103/OPINION03/611030334/1008/OPINION01

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. State laws do vary

In Washington, you must show identification. Your voter registration card is considered sufficient ID, however, as are utility bills and bank statements. (Information)

Washington does not automatically restore voting rights to a felon. To have voting rights restored, a felon in Washington State must go before a judge and show that all legal obligations related to the felony conviction have been satisfied, including full payment of all fines and orders of restitution. (Information.)

Washington ballots are not available in Arabic that I know of, but you can get one in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian and a few other (can't find info.)

[marmar]

2. True....

This is very Michigan-centric, I just realized that.

[Igel]

3. Quite so.

Poll workers in NYS can require that you show ID. Nobody else can.

The polls close at 9, unless that's changed in the last year.

They post precinct maps in the polling station; if they say you're not in the poll book, do *not* insist on casting an affadavit/provisional ballot before you check the map--if you cast the provisional ballot in the wrong precinct (and frequently there are multiple precincts voting in one room) you haven't cast a valid ballot.