Voter registration deadline Oct 19

[cos]

To vote for Somerville Board of Aldermen this November 8th, if you're not already registered to vote in Somerville, you need to register by Wednesday at 8pm. You can register in person at the Somerville Elections Department, downstairs in city hall at the corner of Highland and School Street. They're open 8:30-4:30 today and tomorrow, and staying open until 8pm on Wednesday.

You can also pick up a form at any city hall in Massachusetts and mail it to Somerville, just make sure it's postmarked by Wednesday. If you fill out the form on your own, make sure to:

- check both boxes in part 1 (you're a citizen; you're gonna be over 18 on election day)
- include your identification number, which is either your drivers license number or the last four digits of your social security number (not the whole thing)
- pick a party affiliation - or "no party (unenrolled)"

Those are the three things people miss most often, and if you miss any of them, they'll ask you to register again, and you'll miss the deadline. Also, if you get your mail at some address other than your actual residence (like some dorms, for example), pay attention to the two address lines, one for where you actually reside, the other for where you get mail.

BTW, there's a trend in MA of lots of generally Democratic voters registering as "unenrolled" because you can vote in any primary. I think it's a bad idea. If you care who the Democratic nominee for governor is going to be, for example, you may want to participate in the caucuses this spring, or the convention next summer, and you can't do either of those if you're not registered as a Democrat. If you care who's on the Democratic State Committee, or if you might ever want to join a town committee to help reform the party, you need to be registered Democrat. You may not know yet that you'll want to do any of these things, but there are a whole bunch of things you cut yourself off from doing if you register unenrolled, and it sucks if for example someone you know runs for delegate and asks you to help her by going to caucus and you're not eligible. On the flip side, what do you gain by being unenrolled? Just how often is there actually a contested Republican primary or Libertarian primary (you can't register Green currently) for any seat in this state? Realistically, in today's Massachusetts, almost every primary election that you'd want to vote in is a Democratic one.

This year, Davis Square has a chance to elect Rebekah Gewirtz, founding chair of Progressive Democrats of Somerville (and former legislative aide to Pat Jehlen) as its new ward alderman. PDS has also endorsed several other candidates for at-large and ward seats this year.

Comments

[nowalmart.livejournal.com]

On the flip side, what do you gain by being unenrolled? Just how often is there actually a contested Republican primary or Libertarian primary (you can't register Green currently) for any seat in this state? Realistically, in today's Massachusetts, almost every primary election that you'd want to vote in is a Democratic one.

I am registered as a Libertarian, and definitely take exception with these comments. Comments like these are the *reason* there is not a stronger third-party system in Somerville, in Massachusetts, and in the United States.

I agree that you should register with what party most closely follows your political views, be that Republican, Democract, or a third-party.

I have written about third parties before (http://www.livejournal.com/~nowalmart/35037.html).

[cos]

I wrote, "there's a trend in MA of lots of generally Democratic voters registering as "unenrolled" because you can vote in any primary. I think it's a bad idea."

You responded, "I am registered as a Libertarian [...]"

I think you're taking offense unnecessarily. I definitely did not intend to suggest that people who really want to be in another party ought to register as Democrats. My advice is very specifically directed at generally Democratic voters who register unenrolled because it allows them to vote in any primary so they don't think they're losing anything, or think they're gaining something, by that. That's obviously not you. 1) You're not a Democrat. 2) You're not registered unenrolled.

[nowalmart.livejournal.com]

No offense taken. As I said, I agree that you should register with what party most closely follows your political views, be that Republican, Democract, or a third-party.

I just want to point out to people that your argument can be taken one small step farther to mean that a Green party member should "give in" and register as a Democrat, since that is where most political decisions end up being.

You did not make that small step, which I am thankful for, but I wanted to remind readers of the flip side of the argument.

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

hm... not sure you can answer this, but.... if i get an absentee ballot sent to my new address, but think that the timing for registering at my new, outside-somerville address will fall prior to the actual election, does that count as voter fraud? I promised Rebekah that if I was still in MA come election time, I would vote for her. :) I'm only missing the election by a few days (and realistically, will i really have gotten a new license that quickly after moving??).

[cos]

Unless you're really quick about registering at your new place and voting there this November, you're fine. People often vote at the place they just moved out of shortly before election, because they know a lot more about it than the place they just moved to. Just wait until after November 8th to re-register.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

We had just moved before the last election, and when my boyfriend went to vote at our old place, he wasn't able to do it without trouble as we'd already been delisted. Not sure how that happened. I'm glad we have a chance to re-register before the next election though.

[cos]

Was that in Massachusetts? If so, it should only have happened if he'd already registered at the new address. If he hadn't already re-registered at the new address, there is no good reason for them to have dropped him from the list, and it may be worth investigating. Where was this (the old place)?

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

The old and new places are/were in Somerville. the only thing that *I* had done that might have triggered a re-reistration was forwarding my mail. Seriously.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_meej_/]

Forgetting to send back the "city census" forms or whatever they're officially called will do that; at least, I've seen that happen.

[cos]

Not replying to the city census changes your voter status to "inactive", but I think the only effect of that is that they ask you to show ID at the polls, like they do for first time voters. But perhaps that was it, if someone wasn't aware that "inactive" status came from not responding to the census, had just moved out of town, went to the polls and told "you're inactive, got ID?" - they might assume it's because they just moved out, and might even tell the poll worker that, and the poll worker might not know that can't be the reason.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

that you would have to ask does that count as voter fraud? should indicate to you the answer.

Would you want someone to do that who was opposing someone you want to elect?

[cos]

Whether you'd want it or not, they likely will, and it's perfectly fine for them to do so.

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

well, i don't know. I've lived in somerville a long time, and am moving out of state. I don't know any of the politics in my new state, which means i may not vote there for a long time. in my head, this differentiates it from just moving to cambridge and deciding i still want my hand in somerville's cookie jar. i'm still invested in somerville, i still paid buttloads of taxes to somerville this year. what would you say if the election were oct 31 (the day i leave), and i voted? How is that different? how was it okay that i voted in the last election, knowing i was leaving and wouldn't be here for the actual term of the people who won? [these aren't rhetorical or attack questions: I'm genuinely interested in where you think the acceptable line is.]

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

the correct answer is given below, and I am thankful for that.

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

you can still disagree with the letter of the law :)

thanks to cos though, for not letting it be a judgement call on my part.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

I don't know that I will disagree with the letter of the law, because it answers what you asked, and touches on the spirit of the question: where should informed citizens be allowed to vote.

It shouldn't be a judgement call for you. HOW you vote should be a matter for your conscience, whether you CAN vote should not.

There needs to a be a concrete, bright line definition on this sort of topic, because there is so much potential for problems AND danger in screwing this sort of thing up.

It also emphasizes the different weighting that gets looked at for these sort of policy decisions: those who are more informed on the local climate vs those who will have to deal with the after-effects of the elections.

I'm glad there is a defined deadline, and while the original question you asked annoyed me, my annoyance was based on a false pretense, and I am a much better informed citizen now, for the correction.

MGL 51-3

[cos]

Mass General Laws, Chapter 51: Section 3 Place of registration and voting; change of residence:

For all elections and primaries held prior to June first in any year, a person shall be registered and may vote in the ward or voting precinct where he resided on January first of the previous year; [...] For all elections and primaries held on or after June first in any year, a person shall be registered and may vote in the ward or voting precinct where he resided on January first of that year;

Re: MGL 51-3

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

thank you, that is a useful bit of info, and I appreciate the correct information.

Now that that's cleared up,

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

given your knowledge, would you be able to point me to a site that shows which ward I live in/ geographic representation of the ward/precinct boundaries?

The pictures on the somerville webpage (on the links for each Alderman) are not of a good enough resolution for me to be sure.

Re: Now that that's cleared up,

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

note, the "Where do i vote" link on the city webpage does not work.

wards and precincts

[cos]

WhereDoIVoteMA.com lets you look up your street address and find your ward and precinct, and also all of your current state & federal office holders and districts. There is also a Somerville ward map in PDF that you can download from the City web site here (it's labelled "street map"). You can zoom in for detail.

Re: wards and precincts

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

motu grazie!