I recently moved from New York City to Boston. I wasn't here in time to register for and vote in today's primary election, but now I'm faced with a quandary: should I vote by absentee ballot in New York this year, or switch my registration to Massachusetts?
My own pro-con analysis below the fold. I'd appreciate any help with the question.
So (a) I could vote by absentee ballot in New York:
Pros:
I'd get to vote in Eliot Spitzer for governor, and re-elect Hillary Clinton.
It'd be really easy--my schedule just got heinously busy, and I could find time to sit down with a ballot whenever I got around to it.
Some state and local offices might be relatively competitive.
I could encourage the NY Dems to embrace the Working Families platform by voting for Dem candidates that are cross-listed on the Working Families line.
Cons:
Neither Spitzer nor Clinton has any serious opposition--my vote would just confirm the inevitable. And as an NYC voter, my Democratic Congresswoman (Carolyn Maloney) is also a shoe-in. I felt pretty good about voting for Nydia Velazquez back when I lived in Brooklyn, and I get a similar you're-doing-the-right-thing rush voting for Maloney, but it's not like either one of them were endangered.
My district is pretty reliably Dem, so state and local candidates are too.
Hillary's ham-handed triangulation over the last few years (flag burning? Are you serious?) really annoyed me.
This is ethically a little dubious--I've moved out of the state.
Or (b) I could switch my registration to Massachusetts.
Pros:
There's a seriously competitive governor's race and the Dems could use all the help they could get.
Several other important statewide races are competitive.
I could use this as an opportunity to get to know local politics a bit more/volunteer at the local level. I'm going to be here for at least another couple of years, so I should get locally involved.
I'm ethically happier with voting locally instead of absentee, particularly when I'm not planning on returning to New York soon.
Cons:
I don't know jack about the Massachusetts candidates, and I don't really have the time to learn right now (1st year of law school).
I know most of the state and local candidates on the ballot in New York without even looking them up.
Aw man, I'd have to fill out a form...
As you might tell, I'm leaning towards switching my registration to Massachusetts. Not only is this a bit more ethically savory to me, but there are actually a few more competitive races that I feel like I could contribute to.