For September "To-Do" List: Check Your Voter Registration

From YubaNet.com

CA
For September "To-Do" List: Check Your Voter Registration
Author: Secretary of State Debra Bowen
Published on Sep 1, 2010 - 8:51:43 AM

SACRAMENTO September 1, 2010 – As National Voter Registration Month kicks off, Secretary of State Debra Bowen reminded Californians that now is a great time to check their voter registration or register for the first time.

“Californians have just a few weeks left to register to vote in the November 2 General Election, but there’s no need to wait,” said Secretary Bowen, the state’s chief elections officer. “Registering takes only a few moments and National Voter Registration Month is the perfect time to mark the task off your ‘to-do’ list.”

The National Association of Secretaries of State has declared September 2010 as National Voter Registration Month. People may register to vote in California if they are United States citizens, reside in California, are at least 18 years old by Election Day, are not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction, and have not been judged by a court to be mentally incompetent. A voter must re-register to vote after changing names, permanent residence or political party choice.

People who want to check their voter registration can use a new feature on the Secretary of State’s website at http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status/index.htm to access county-specific websites and phone numbers dedicated to registration verification.

People who would like to register to vote can fill out a form online at http://www.sos.ca.gov/nvrc/fedform/, print, sign and mail it. Californians can also pick up a voter registration form at any county elections office, public library or U.S. post office.

Voter registration forms, vote-by-mail applications and the Secretary of State’s “Guide to Voting” can be found in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese at http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_multi.htm.

The deadline to register to vote in the November 2 General Election is October 18.

The last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot is October 26. To request a vote-by-mail ballot, a voter can use the application printed on the sample ballot booklet mailed by his or her county elections official or go to http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/vote-by-mail/pdf/fill-in-vote-by-mail-app-instruct.pdf.