Are you registered to vote?

Election season is coming

By Will Collette

We’re approaching mid-December. The Republicans have their first “serious” campaign event – the Iowa caucuses – right after New Year.

Then comes the New Hampshire primary.

Rhode Island’s Presidential Primary comes earlier than the primary for other elected offices – April 24^th. President Obama is a lock for the Democrats, but the Republican race is wide open, not to mention pretty crazy.

The Secretary of State’s Office has published this list of key dates leading up to the Presidential Primary. 

› January 19 - 21, 2012 - Presidential candidates file Statement of Intent

› January 23 - 24, 2012 – Deadline for delegate candidates to register to vote in order to file a declaration [for people who wish to go to the national Party Convention as a delegate for a candidate]

› January 25, 2012 - Deadline for voters to file disaffiliation (if necessary) to vote in the Presidential Preference Primary [if you are registered to vote as affiliated with one party, you cannot vote in the other Party’s primary unless you disaffiliate from that party and re-affiliate with the other]

› February 22 - 23, 2012 - Delegate candidates file declarations of candidacy

› March 24, 2012 - Deadline for voters to register to vote in the Presidential Preference Primary

› April 3, 2012 - Deadline for voters to apply for a mail ballot with the local board of canvassers

› April 4, 2012 - Emergency mail ballot period begins

› April 23, 2012 - Deadline to apply for an emergency mail ballot

› April 24, 2012 - Presidential Preference Primary

September 11 is Rhode Island’s primary for the other elected offices in the state and, of course, November 6 is Election Day. Ignore what Rick Perry said about when the Election is being held, and also what he said about the minimum age to vote (he said 21, but it’s really 18). 

If you are not registered to vote, you should be. Click here for the official voter registration form. You can bring this to Town Hall to complete the process. Be sure to bring some proof that you live in Charlestown.

It’s also not too early to think about the state’s new requirement that you must show a government-issued photo ID when you vote. If you don’t have one, the state is required to provide you one for free.

Rhode Island is the only state with a Democratic-controlled legislature to pass a voter ID law. Generally, the push for voter ID laws is a Republican initiative to discourage groups who usually vote for Democrats (e.g. the poor, the elderly, minorities) from voting. And there’s the additional factor that voter fraud is actually very rare these days (except in Florida) and costly voter ID systems are not worth the money. Click here for the Secretary of State's webpage for official information on Voter ID requirements in Rhode Island.

But along Rhode Island’s coast, where many non-residents try to get registered even though they are not eligible, voter ID might serve an ironic purpose of keeping them out. Westerly, Block Island and Little Compton all have far more people registered to vote than they have residents of legal voting age, so this type of voter fraud does seem to be a lot more real than the mythical illegal immigrants who supposed dominate some districts.

After hearing all the sobbing and weeping from non-resident property owners at last Monday's Town Council meeting about "taxation without representation," Charlestown will need to be vigilant to an influx of non-residents trying to get themselves onto the voter roles. Also disturbing were the expressions of sympathy for out-of-state rich people's lack of the vote by the two CCA Council members, Council President Tom Gentz and Vice-President Deputy Dan Slattery. 

The CCA and their rich uncle, the RI Statewide Coalition have advocated for the right to vote based on property ownership in the past. Also powdered wigs. And public flogging.