An Apolitical Suggestion: Here’s A Group You Don’t Want To Join

The November election is months away, but you’re fired up to vote in it.

Scenario #1:

You know exactly where you’re polling place is – you’ve been there before. You’ll have your eye on the weather, and dress appropriately because you know you’ll spend some time standing in line.

You’re ready.

Election Day arrives and everything is going according to plan. Then it’s your turn and…

“Sorry, you’re not registered to vote.”

It’s going to happen all over this country, more than ever before.

Scenario #2:

Perhaps you’re a mail-in voter.

You, too, are fired up and ready to vote, come November.

Only…your ballot never arrives in the mail.

You start calling the Registrar of Voters, but the line is busy or you’re put on hold and then disconnected, and you keep trying and trying and…

You can’t get through.

You can’t vote.

It’s going to happen all over this country, more than ever before.

You’ve just joined a group you don’t want to join:

People who want to vote and can’t, because they thought they were registered to vote, but weren’t.

You don’t have to join this group, if you do something now:

Go online and verify your voter registration.

In my county, San Diego, it was easy. It took less than a minute.

I went here, and clicked on “Check Your Voter Registration:

That brought me here, where I typed in my house number, birthday and zip code:

And here’s my confirmation. I removed most of my personal information, but if your voter registration is in order, you should see something like this:

I’m good to go in San Diego County.

Wherever you live, do this.

And do it now.

Now, while you have plenty of time to address any problems with your voter registration.

Here’s a list of just some of the problems that could prevent you from voting:

You moved, but didn’t change your address with the Registrar of Voters.
You moved from one state to another and assumed if your voter registration was valid in one state, it’s valid everywhere. Don’t assume.
You’ve changed your name; this information does not automatically get updated when you make the legal change.
If you haven’t voted for awhile, you may have been purged from the voting rolls.
You’ve had mental health or legal issues; this may matter, depending on where you live.
You missed your state’s registration deadline and didn’t know it. Do you know your state’s deadline?
Errors at the Registrar of Voters – human errors and computer errors.
Voter ID laws – does your state have them, and have you met the requirements?
Criminal record – if you have one, verify if it prevents you from voting in your state; it may not.
Due to the pandemic, it’s difficult to predict how many polling places will be open, and where. Don’t assume your usual polling place is going to be open.