Important Voter Registration Deadline--Pass it On!

We're all pretty politically aware here on DailyKos. Most of us are here because we support Democrats and want to work to get them elected at all levels of Government.

So probably most of you know that in many states you must be registered as a Democrat to vote in the Democratic primary.

BUT

Do all of your friends and acquaintances know? Do they even know whether or not they are registered as Democrats?

Are you aware of your state's deadline for changing party affiliation? Did you realize that it might be less than two weeks from today?

In a few months, people around the country will go to the polls to vote in the primaries. For many of these people, the upcoming primaries are not yet on their radar. They're vaguely aware that candidates are campaigning, but haven't yet focused in on the candidates or their messages.

By the time they do, it may be too late for them to have a say in who becomes their party's nominee.

Where I live, in New York State, a lot of people who usually vote Democrat are not registered Democrats. That means that they have to change their voter registration in order to vote in the Democratic primary. Many of them don't realize this, and very few of them realize that the deadline to change party affiliation in New York is October 12! OCTOBER 12! That's less than two weeks away!

If you are in a state that has closed primaries (i.e., where you have to be registered with the Dem party to vote in the Dem primary), please check the deadline for changing party affiliation and let your friends, acquaintances, co-workers, neighbors, etc. know. Stress the importance of primary voting and encourage them to send in their voter registration forms now. It doesn't hurt to have forms available to hand to them. The form for New York state can be downloaded here.

The League of Women Voters website has a page where you can look up general information about your state's voter registration rules. Follow the links on your state's page to get information about changing party affiliation.

Please do what you can to get the word out!

•  I welcome any ideas for getting the word out

  Unfortunately, I have limited free time in the next two weeks, but will do what I can.

  If you know anyone in New York who may not be a registered Dem, please make sure they know about this deadline.

  by casperr on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 10:37:37 AM PDT

•  Thank you for this diary.

  This is incredibly important, no matter who we support in the primary.

  Please rec this up, people!

  by mistersite on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 10:38:50 AM PDT

  •  Absolutely!

    It's freaking me out that the NY deadline is so early. I wonder how many other states have deadlines in the next month?

    by casperr on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 10:41:18 AM PDT

•  Thank you!!

  I've moved out of state since the last election, and I have no idea what my new state's deadlines are.  Thanks for the heads-up, casperr.  And you're right: lots of sick-of-this-administration Republicans might be ready to change party affiliations, and lots of young people who want to vote in the crucial '08 elections, have to be made aware of the deadlines.  Any of you Face Book users, jump on this -- network the word around.

  by 4thepeople on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 10:57:18 AM PDT

•  I probably should have waited to post this

  at a more high-traffic time. If it doesn't get much attention, I'll repost it tomorrow or Tuesday.

  by casperr on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 11:15:47 AM PDT

•  We should include this reminder in every

  diary from now on.

  by Elise on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 11:43:40 AM PDT

•  A State by State table would be great.

  by ben masel on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 12:16:48 PM PDT

  •  Someone just emailed me that

    they are working on just such a table and a diary to post in the next day or so.

    I thought I might do something like that, until I realized that there is no central place for this information; you actually have to find the information for each specific state on that state's official site (and it's not always easy to get to the deadline info). I don't have enough time for that kind of effort, but wanted to get something up quickly.

    by casperr on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 12:20:37 PM PDT

•  Thanks for the diary

  I'll post it on the NY blogs later today (gotta go get a haircut first).

  by MBNYC on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 01:13:48 PM PDT

  •  Thanks! n/t

    by casperr on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 01:25:14 PM PDT

•  In Maryland, you have to register by January 22,

  for the February 5, 2008, primary.

  What's up with you New Yorker's?  Are you trying to eliminate voters?

  by captainlaser on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 05:35:24 PM PDT

  •  Trying to keep out the rifraff

    No, seriously. This state is set up to maintain the status quo. Incumbents get so many advantages--it's ridiculous. Primary challengers are not welcome. Well, maybe welcome, but the state makes it as difficult as possible for them to succeed.

    Oh, and it's the change of party affiliation that has to be done by Oct. 12, not registering to vote. New voters have until early January. But a LOT of people here who vote Dem are registered unaffiliated because they've gotten so sick of the party over the years. I'm sure that many of them don't realize they need to change their status in the next 12 days to vote in Feb!

    by casperr on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 06:15:06 PM PDT