I Have a Fear about my Florida Voter Registration

[Misunderestimator]

With the recent news about people being registered in both Florida and New York, it occurred to me that this might be the newest method Jeb! will use to purge voters from the rolls. And I might be one of them. I was registered in NY and voted there in the 2000 election. Then I moved to Florida in 2001. I registered here, then moved again within Florida this past fall and registered again.

I'm worried now that my vote might be in jeopardy, especially since my move was from NY to FL.

I have never heard of anyone UN-registering in a state or district after they move, and I'm sure NO ONE ever does. I haven't even heard of a method to do that. Has anyone else?

[graywarrior]

1. I was registered in NH, then 2 times in Florida

I call them to make sure I am still registered. I am in Katherine Harris' neighborhood, so I don't put anything past them. If you have a voter card, which you should, either call them or drop by and double check.

[Misunderestimator]

2. I'll definitely do that... and I guess I need to do it again just before

the election... Now what about all those other people who won't bother? I'll be watching this. And I hope someone like Michael Moore is watching it too.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Go to early voting

Then if you have a problem, come back here and we'll raise a little hell about it.

[libertad]

4. Make sure you vote in the primary next Tuesday. If you aren't

on the rolls at that time, you'll still have time to straighten it out before November.

[Misunderestimator]

5. At least I have the primary as a test... but somehow I'm sure they will

save their "solution" to the double-registrations until just before the election. In any case, I'll definitely let everyone here know what happens.

[libertad]

6. There are going to be lawyers on call on Election Day. I'll try to

find the number for you. Also, if you are "removed" after the primary and you find out on Election Day, ask for a "provisional ballot". They are supposed to let you vote.

[Misunderestimator]

8. Thanks... I would love that number...

And when do I ask for a provisional ballot, at the time of the primary, or at the general election, or prior to the general election from the election board?

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. You got it

I'm sure this will be one of many reasons that the Bu$h uses to contest the election.

This is why Kerry must win in a landslide. There has to be no doubt who the American people want.

[dryan]

9. If you are really worried....

call the Supervisor of Elections office in the county where you are registered and ask for an absentee ballot.

[Misunderestimator]

12. I was considering that anyway since we use touch screen voting here now...

I guess this is reason enough to decide it for me. Of course, nothing's stopping them from throwing my vote out if they decide that I am double-registered... or for any other reason.

[rullery]

10. I Moved to Florida from Indiana

in 2000, and voted in Florida for Gore using the infamous punch-card ballot. I still wonder if my vote was counted. While I was still registered to vote in Indiana then, of course I did not do so. I suspect that this is true of most, if not all, voters who move from the northern states to Florida. Just because we may still be registered to vote in our former home states does not mean that we would break the law by doing so! I still have a summer place in Indiana, and I just voted by absentee ballot in the Florida primary. However I would not put anything past Jeb Bush and his goons, purging democrats from the lists of registered voters. Recently state troopers have been sent to the homes of elderly black voters in the Orlando area, ostensibly to question them about absentee voting. Their true purpose was clearly to intimidate these people, to hold down the black vote in the coming election. We must be vigilant, for these jerks intend to steal the election for Bush - again!

[Misunderestimator]

11. My thought when I first saw the story, is that they are exaggerating it...

in order to make Democrats look bad. Since 68% of those they claim are registered in both FL and NY are democrats (but have "evidence" that only 400-1000 of the total actually voted twice)... they are inflaming people to think that these people INTENTIONALLY registered in both places. Well, if they INTENTIONALLY registered in both places, then I would think they would have 100,000 (or whatever the number is) double votes, no?

I'd like to hear of ONE SINGLE PERSON who has UNregistered in the state from which they moved... EVER.

[spotbird]

14. Florida should have notified Indiana about your new registration.

Then Indiana would remove you from their rolls.

At least that's how it works in other states. Did Florida have a spot on the form re. previous registration address?

[rullery]

16. Removal of previous registration?

My recollection of the process when I registered to vote in Florida in 2000 is that there was no inquiry about registration in my former state. That is probably why it now appears that many voters from New York and other states are still registered to vote in their former states. Far from indicating any intent of voters to defraud, it is simply sloppiness on the part of Florida officials, not notifying the states of previous residence for new Florida voters.

[Misunderestimator]

17. That's my recollection as well. I never filled out a previous address...

or indication of where I was registered before. This is DEFINITELY Florida official sloppiness... and I hate to think it... but incidious sloppiness, maybe?

[TahitiNut]

18. How to tell if your ballot was counted, if not all your votes:

Vote for an obscure write-in candidate on some down-ballot race that's relatively inconsequential to you. If your ballot was counted, complete returns will show that vote. This isn't a guarantee, of course. If you do it incorrectly, the write-in vote might not get tallied while the rest of your ballot might be. It is, however, one technique a person can use to get some assurance.

[Jack Rabbit]

13. Make sure you're registered and make sure you get an absentee ballot

Don't leave anything to chance. Jeb doesn't.

[spotbird]

15. The local Democratic Party almost certainly has a list of

registered Democrats in your area. That might be your first stop.