4 Steps: Voting

It seems like we say it every four years, and maybe every time we say it, it’s true: These elections are the most important in the history of the country. With a change in presidential administrations imminent, this is especially true for the 2008 U.S. elections.

The following four steps largely address the administrative process of voting. With the exception of one or two states, if you haven’t registered to vote by now, you aren’t eligible to vote in these elections; most deadlines fell sometime in October.

If you are eligible to vote, we urge you to do so by following our four steps to voting in the 2008 presidential election.

step 1

Get informed

Before voting, begin by getting an understanding of the issues that affect you by going to VoteSmart.org, a site widely recognized and endorsed as being the most valuable non-partisan resource for voters looking to become more informed about the candidates, issues and initiatives facing them on November 4, 2008. Create a cheat sheet as you go; you’ll take this with you to the polls.

step 2

Find your polling place

The location of your polling place is listed on the voter confirmation card sent to you in the mail after you register to vote. It could be any number of different types of locations, from a community center to the garage of a private home, so you may have to use an online map service to get directions.

The confirmation card will indicate the hours of operation for your polling place, but they’re generally open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Polling places and the laws and regulations governing them are overseen by election officers, typically college students and retirees who can afford to spend a full day serving the election process (and get paid a few bucks to do it).

From one county to the next in the U.S., there is no standard voting system. In fact, there is a huge diversity in the voting systems used across the country, but they are all easy to use and understand (Florida 2000 is a stark exception). Some states offer video demos of the different voting systems used at the websites for that state’s Secretary of State or State Board of Elections. At the least they will provide basic explanations.

There are 2 more steps in the voting process… Next Page >>