HOW
THE FUCK
VOTE TO
A VOTER’S GUIDE
How to vote in several complicated and horribly articulated completely impractical steps.
Dedicated to all the chillins that public schooling failed.
80.1%
of 18-29 year olds failed to cast ballots in 2014.
FOREWORD
In the past four decades, the national average of voters in this age group has been consistently 26.6%, but in the past few years, voter participation has seen a dramatic decline. I’m talking 19.9%, fam. What’s up with that? But I know this isn’t necessarily due to apathy, as a lot of youth are passionate and woke. So the question is, why? Some say the decline is due to a lost hope in the government/system, where many voters put their hope into our representatives, only to be disappointed. In the years of 2010-2014, at least 22 states had passed laws that made it even more difficult and inconvenient for voters to...well, vote.
CONFESSION I didn’t know shit about the presidential election, or the voting process. I mean, you know, I had a somewhat vague understanding of the whole thing, but if you were to ask me to explain it...I’d say “I don’t know, maybe like Google it?” See, even though all of this information is available online, I personally find that none of it is helpful. I feel as though the government has intentionally made the voting process difficult and confusing to understand in order to drive away voters. It’s such an intimidating process, and I lowkey felt like a dumbass search “how to register to vote”. But let’s be real, this is nothing to be ashamed of. The whole process is explained using all this political jargon and blah blah blah fall asleep after reading two sentences. Not my fault white supremacy works through language and discourse! So, that’s what inspired this project. If you’re like me, and you’re not afraid to admit “hey, this might sound ignorant and dumb as fuck, but I’d really like to learn more about the voting process because I don’t totally get it,” then this is the booklet for you. Don’t worry family, I’m right here with you.
If I don’t vo
How will I know what dates to look out for?
Wait, but then when do I vote for like...senators and shit?
WHAT DO I EVEN
WHAT THE FUC If I’m from California, can I vote here in New York?
How do I know who I agree with the Do on issues?
What the CAC
ELECTORAL COLLEGE? Is that a school, what? Is there a deadline?
How does the election process even
I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT A BALLOT LOOKS LIKE! ! !
Do I have to vote multiple times?
ote for Hillary does that make me a bad feminist?
How do I even register, like??
Maybe I’ll just wait till next time. I feel like four years is enough time to figure it out, ya know? I don’t even know what I’m eating for dinner, how will I know who I want to vote for?
N NEED TO KNOW?
CK IS THIS??!! BERNIE WHO?
e most onald Trump is running? That’s a joke , right?
CA IS A CAUCUS?
I don’t even know how to mail a letter, how the hell am I supposed to mail in this voter registeration form?
n work, I mean...
I’m so confused...
In order to get a better understanding of this confusing ass process, let’s do a brief overview of the government.
3 BRANCHES O
US CONST
Establish a system o as well as a separat making sure nobod
LEGISLATIVE This is where all the homies make laws. They’re also responsible for approving federal judges and justices, passing the national budget , and declaring war.
CONGRESS SENATE
EXEC
This is where all laws that Congre appoint governm the armed forces international lea
PRESIDENT
You know, leader of the free world and all that jazz.
The senate is comprised of 100 US senators, each state has 2.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOR has 435 representatives. Each state has a different number of reps. as this is dependent and proportional to the state’s population.
CABINET Appointed helpers that assist the prez on uber importante decisions in their areas of expertise. Includes issues like defense, treasury, and homeland security.
OF GOVERNMENT
TITUTION
of checks and balances, tion of powers. Pretty much dy is getting out of pocket.
JUDICIAL
CUTIVE
l the peeps enforce the ess makes. They also ment officials, commands s, and meets with other aders.
This branch is in charge of upholding the laws and punishing people who break them.
VICE PRESIDENT
ALL COURTS OF THE LAND
The Prez’s “right hand”, “go to”.
SUPREME COURT
The executive branch carries out an incredible amount of work, they actually employ over 4 million workers in order to get the job done.
These homies settle disputes among states, hears appeals from states and federal courts, and determine if federal laws are constitutional.
SUPREME COURT JUSTICES There are 9 Supreme Court Justices. What’s unique about them is that when they are apppointed, they are appointed for life, or however long they desire to stay.
Now that we have some context, let’s get to the good stuff.
OVERVIEW OF THE PRES 1. The candidate must be a natural born citizen of the USA.
At every convention, once a candidate has been picked, the presidential candidate will also select their running mate, the Vice President.
Now, the presidential candidates go on a national campaign in order to garner support from the country’s population.
VP
2. They must be at least 35 years old.
3. They must have been a resident in the USA for 14 years.
Each party holds a national convention to select the party’s official candidate. Delegates and Superdelegates attend this event and vote based on the primaries and caucuses.
Prima & Caucu
National Convention
P
Bernie Bernie
I’m Bernie Sanders, and I approve this message.
blah blah
General Election
This is when you, the voter, come in again. In every state, voters will cast their ballot for their one choice of P & VP.
st Caour ! Y llot Ba
Keep in mind that votes don't go directly to the candidates. You're actually voting for electors who are part of the electoral college.
Electora College
SIDENTIAL ELECTION
aries & uses
ns
l
Based on their political beliefs, they may choose to identify with a party. In America, the two most popular are the Repulican Party and the Democratic Party.
There are a plethora of people who want to run for president. Each of them have a different set of values and political beliefs.
Members of both parties set out on a national campaign in order to win the nomination from their party members. This is decided based on primaries and caucuses. Who gets to vote at these aforementioned events? Delegates! More on them later.
Cast Your Ballot!
A caucus is when members of the party meet at a designated time and discuss/debate who should be the presidential candidate.
A primary is more along the lines of traditional voting, where party members cast their own ballots for their choice of the candidate.
VOTE
VOTE Hillary!
?
Cast Your Ballot! Bernie!
In the electoral college system, each state gets a number of electors based on the representation they receive in Congress. (Refer to 3 Branch gov't page)
In order to win the election, the candidate must receive more than half of the votes of the electoral college (270+).
Finally, we have a winner! The newly elected P & VP are then inaugurated in January.
538 Electoral Votes
270 Votes = magic number
VOTECABULARY
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CYCLE The presidential election happens every four years. During this time, all potential candidates get hazed. Not really though. These cats do some hardcore campaigning to convince eligible voters to support them. The presidential election cycle can be split up into two campaign phases: the primary campaign phase for the primary elections and caucuses, which take place on different days in different states and the general election, which takes place on Election Day, nationally. So peeps who want to run for president can register with a party’s national committee as a primary presidential candidate... as long as they meet the basic qualifications. The party is usually either Democratic or Republican. Primary presidential candidates can also register with other political parties like the Green Party, Constitution Party, or Socialist Party. Otherwise they can try to skip the primary election and run as a lone wolf.
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CYCLE The deadlines for all aspiring leaders of the free world to announce their candidacy differs from state to state. However, most political parties require presidential hopefuls to register with them and make an announcement by the end of autumn the year before the general election, otherwise their firstborn child belongs to the party. While any(member of the bourgeoise)body can sign up to be a primary election candidate, only one candidate for each party will proceed to the general election with that party’s nomination. Through the election process, each political party chooses one candidate they believe gives them the best chance of winning the general election. Thusly, only one presidential candidate from each party appears on the general election ballot. Congressional elections, for both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, occur at the same time as other federal elections. State and local elections may also occur within a similar time period as the presidential election. Also, many federal and state-level appointments to the judiciary directly follow elections.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES The presidential debates are events where candidates congregate to discuss their policy platforms, goals as president, hopes and dreams, deepest insecurities, and answer questions from the general population about important issues facing the United States. The purpose of primary election debates is to allow plebs to choose which candidate from their party they feelin' the most. The DNC and RNC each allow the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates to brawl (with words!!!). In this way, voters can more easily decide which party they want to register for (if necessary) and choose a single candidate to vote for in their state’s primary election or caucus. The purpose of the general election debates, on the other hand, is to allow voters to decide which presidential ticket (A ticket refers to a presidential candidate and their chosen running mate for vice president) they like the most among the candidates in the general election. During these debates, the final Republican and Democratic candidates, each chosen through the primary election process, fucking fight each other (with words!!!). These debates sometimes include independent or third-party presidential candidates as well.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES Presidential debates begin in the middle of the primary election campaign, when most candidates have officially declared their intention to run. Primary election debate schedules are maintained separately by the RNC and DNC. For the 2016 election cycle, however, both the RNC and DNC have instituted an “exclusivity rule�. This new rule states that if candidates participate in debates not sanctioned by their party, they are disqualified from attending the debates that are sanctioned by the party. Surprisingly, for the 2016 election cycle, the DNC has only scheduled 6 debates total, with the first one occurring four days after the primary election registration deadline for New York. Conversely, the RNC has scheduled over 10 debates total. The general election debates begin after both national party conventions have taken place and their schedule is maintained by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).
PRIMARIES & CAUCUSES The purpose of a primary election or caucus is for every registered voter in each state, also known as the electorate, to choose delegates from the general population to represent their state at national party conventions. Each state’s government chooses to engage in either a primary election, a caucus, or some combo of the two.
PRIMARY ELECTION The goal of a primary election is to get an accurate representation of delegates to vote at national party conventions. In primaries, votes are cast by secret ballot, just like in the general election. When choosing delegates, the Democratic party employs a proportional system. For example, if a state needed to choose 6000 delegates and 70% of the popular vote went to Bernie Sanders while 20% of the vote went to Hillary Clinton and 10% of the vote went to Martin O’Malley (four for you, O'Malley! You go, O'Malley!) , then 4200 delegates would be chosen to vote for Bernie Sanders at the Democratic national convention. The Republican party tho, only employs a proportional system for some states, and uses a winner-take-all system for the rest.
PRIMARIES & CAUCUSES
Even if Jeb Bush only won 40% of the popular vote, while the other 60% was split equally among the other 10+ remaining Republican candidates, he would still win all 6000 of the delegates in a winner-take-all state. This difference in method between Democratic primary elections and Republican primary elections creates a completely different climate for each party.
CAUCUS
Caucuses are the original method for selecting delegates and superdelegates, before primary elections even existed. When primary elections were established in the 1900s, the popularity of caucuses decreased in favor of primary elections because they are easier to manage, and award more power to individuals in the electorate. In states that hold caucuses, each political party announces the date, time, and location of the caucus. (Meet me at the club, it's goin' down!) At a caucus, individuals with the fattest asses in the party are identified as potential delegates. After discussion and debate, an informal vote is held to determine which individuals will serve as delegates at the national party convention. The same rules that apply to delegates and superdelegates chosen from primary elections do not always apply to those chosen from caucuses. Iowa, for example, follows a process where candidates receiving less than 15% support from caucus-goers in a given district do not receive any delegates from that district.
PRIMARIES & CAUCUSES
The four most common types of primary elections are: open, closed, semi-open, and semi-closed. Each state that holds a primary election chooses which type they want to adopt. Open primaries and caucuses allow all voters, regardless of party affiliation, to vote for a single candidate in a party of their choice. Closed primaries and caucuses require voters to register with a specific party to be able to vote for that party’s candidates. Semi-Open primaries and caucuses allow any registered voter except for Republicans to vote for that party’s candidates. Semi-Closed primaries and caucuses follow the same rules as Closed, but they also allow voters who are not affiliated with a political party to vote. While dates for primary elections and caucuses can change each year, four events typically go down before all of the others each election cycle: the Iowa Republican and Democratic Caucuses, followed shortly by the New Hampshire Democratic and Republican primary elections. Many primary elections and caucuses occur on Super Tuesday every election cycle.
PRIMARIES & CAUCUSES Closed primary elections and caucuses exist as a defense mechanism against political sabotage. Some states’ political parties are concerned that voters, instead of using their vote to support the candidate with whom they agree the most, will vote for a bitchass candidate in the opposing political party. That is to say, these cats can undermine the opposing party’s thunder as a way to advance the potential of their own. By hosting a closed primary election, states force individuals in their electorate to register as either a Republican, a Democrat, or another political party, and then participate in only their own party’s caucus or primary election. In this way, both parties ensure that they're not fucking with each other’s politics. Those states which hold open primary elections and caucuses have weighed the likelihood of these shenanigans occurring, and have decided that the risk is not enough to force voters to stick to rigid party lines, they would rather each voter choose to support a candidate regardless of party affiliation.
DELEGATES AND SUPERDELEGATES For the two major political parties, the function of the primary election phase is to select and apportion delegates to attend a national convention where they will represent their party’s interests.
DELEGATE A delegate (typically a pledged delegate) is an individual nominated to attend the national party convention as a result of a given state’s primary election or caucus. Since these delegates are chosen by popular vote, they are bound to vote for a certain candidate at their party’s national convention based on the results of the primary election or caucus, otherwise their firstborns will also be seized. Any U.S. citizen registered with the party can request to be a delegate. Yes, that means YOU too, ayy wassup! However, just like the presidency, to even be considered requires heavy campaigning and a history of serving your state’s party well. Each state’s Democratic Party and Republican Party chooses a set number of delegates per election cycle. Consequently, there is hella competition among party members to become a delegate.
DELEGATES AND SUPERDELEGATES SUPERDELEGATE Contrary to a mere delegate, a superdelegate possess super human abilities, and is required to wear a cape and spandex. Just kidding, a superdelegate is a person who falls into one of the categories agreed upon by the leaders of a national political party that gets to vote at their party’s national convention for their prefcerred presidential candidate. They are usually high-ranking members of their party — such as current congressmen, governors, and former presidents — who are associated with that particular state. Of the two major parties, only the Democratic Party uses superdelegates. Don't ask me why. Unlike pledged delegates, superdelegates are allowed to vote for whoever the fuck they want. While superdelegates are not bound by any promises, non-super delegates are committed to voting for a certain candidate except for those apportioned for the primary voters who explicitly voted for “uncommitted”. Thus, superdelegates (and uncommitted delegates) have much more political freedom than pledged delegates, because they can vote for whichever primary presidential candidate they prefer without revealing their choice.
THE DEMOCRATIC & REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTIONS The purpose of the Democratic and Republican national conventions is for delegates and superdelegates to choose the candidates that will represent each party during the general election. In New York, the law states that slippers are not to be worn after 10:00 PM. There is no law that, however, that states the time or location the national party conventions must be held, except that they must be held only after all the primary elections and caucuses have been completed, and each party’s delegates have been chosen. Instead, the RNC and DNC each consider certain circumstantial data — such as the current strength of their political party and the current political climate of the country as a whole — to choose a date for their national conventions that strategically favors their own chances in the general election. Once they choose, the two national parties issue a “Call To Convention” to their state and local counterparts, thus formalizing a particular date.
THE DEMOCRATIC & REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTIONS The national party conventions work similarly to primary elections. However, they rely on the popular vote of delegates and superdelegates, in contrast to the general electorate, to select final presidential and vice-presidential nominees. In practice, this is usually a formality, as the primary elections usually have made it clear who the nominee will be. At both the Democratic and Republican national conventions, delegates place their votes for the primary presidential and vice-presidential candidate that they want to proceed to the general election. Remember that at the Democratic Party convention, superdelegates are not bound by a candidate beforehand and therefore act as wildcards, while pledged delegates are bound to vote for the candidate that won their state’s primary election or caucus. Superdelegates’ and delegates’ votes are counted equally.
THE DEMOCRATIC & REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTIONS Whichever presidential candidate wins the popular vote among the party’s chosen delegates and superdelegates wins the nomination from the party for the general election. Although, in theory, this same process applies to selecting a vice-presidential candidate; in practice, presidential candidates announce their preferred vice-presidential candidate beforehand and the winner’s preferred vice president is given the nomination. From this point on, the nominated president and vice president run a joint campaign, called the presidential ticket. This vice-presidential nomination process, which supersedes a popular vote, has been established as a tradition to ensure that the presidential ticket functions cohesively — you would not want a President and VP who could not trust each other! In addition to formalizing the selection of a presidential ticket, national political parties also establish their party platforms at their respective national conventions. These party platforms serve as an official record for the political values the parties espouse, the actions they plan to take, and the policies they want to enforce.
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE Perhaps surprisingly, the President of the United States is not elected by a popular vote, but through an electoral vote — a system which uses appointed electors. The electoral college is unique to the general presidential election; no other political position in the country is selected in this manner. The electoral college is a representative system of voting that employs a winner-takes-all approach in a state-by-state manner (with the exceptions of Nebraska and Maine, which allow each Congressional district to determine a single electoral vote, and award two electoral votes to the statewide winner). Each of the fifty states is given a certain amount of electoral votes (the District of Columbia is also awarded 3 electoral votes). As you can see from this distribution of electoral votes, for the 2016 election, some states have many more electoral votes than others.
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE On Election Day (the day of the general election), each eligible voter casts their vote via secret ballot, just like in primary elections. The result of this popular vote decides which presidential ticket wins the electoral votes of that state. For instance, if one presidential ticket were to win 65% of the popular vote in Illinois, they would earn all 20 of their electoral votes. However, if that ticket were to gain only 45% of the votes in Illinois and an opposing ticket gained a higher percentage, all 20 electoral votes would instead be awarded to the opposing ticket instead. These electoral votes are cast by individuals known as presidential electors. Thus, while citizens who vote in the general election mark a certain presidential ticket on their ballot, they are actually voting for presidential electors who will represent them in the final election. Each state chooses a set of electors for each ticket on the ballot. The set of electors that represent the presidential ticket that wins the state’s popular vote then casts their electoral vote accordingly. Each state’s number of electoral votes is calculated by adding the state’s current number of U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators. Since there are a total of 435 Representatives and 100 Senators, the total number of electoral votes is 538. Every state has two Senators, but a variable number of Representatives.
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE All states have at least one Representative, and are awarded an increasing number based on population size (based on the official census taken every ten years) — that is to say, more populous states have more Representatives, and therefore use more electoral votes in the general election. Following this method, each state earns a guaranteed minimum of 3 electoral votes. Anyone who is a citizen of the U.S. and a member of either party can become an elector — again, you can become one, too! And just like those delegates, once chosen by your state, you are bound to vote for a particular presidential ticket. Presidential electors are appointed by leaders of the state Democratic and Republican parties, just like superdelegates. However, unlike superdelegates, presidential electors are not required to have a high political status. That being said, just like if you were to try to become a national party convention delegate, if you want to become a presidential elector, you must actively campaign and have a history of serving your state’s party well.
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE The founding fathers of this country originally intended the United States of America to operate as a federation of individual states with a largely limited federal government, instead of as a single and unified nation. The electoral college was established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution, as a means for each state’s electors to elect a presidential candidate that they think would represent their own state’s best interest, rather than the nation’s interest as a whole. From this perspective, it is not the population of the country who should be responsible for voting for the presidency, but representatives of each state and its government. Using this method, much more political power rests within state governments — whose decisions are much more relevant to our everyday lives — than the federal government — which is more removed from its citizens and more easily corrupted. Since the U.S. operates more like a unified nation rather than a collection of states in the 21st century, some critics of the electoral collegeargue that its function is now obsolete. These critics argue that it is no longer prudent for our federal government to be so far removed from its citizens. They believe that electoral college must be abolished so that voting power is taken away from state governments gifted to individuals. However, even in the face of such criticisms, no Congressional body nor President has removed the electoral college from the Constitution since its inception in 1789.
V.
THE GENERAL ELECTION The general election is the process by which the President of the United States is chosen every four years. While every individual in the electorate casts their vote, the results are decided by way of the electoral college rather than a popular vote. The general election period begins after the national party conventions have taken place, and a president and vice president have been nominated by each political party. At this point, all primary presidential candidates who were not nominated must either drop out of the race and go the fuck home, or attempt to run as an independent and blaze their own trail. The general election takes place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November of the election year. This means the 2016 General Presidential Election is taking place on November 8th, 2016. The general election period during the 2016 election cycle will last about four months in total. This is very short compared to the primary election period which can last up to eighteen months. Once the new President of the United States is chosen, he or she remains in that position for four years, during which a new election cycle begins.
THE GENERAL ELECTION The general election proceeds by way of the electoral college. Whichever presidential ticket wins the majority of electoral votes (270 or greater) wins the general election. In the rare instance that no presidential ticket wins at least 270 electoral votes, then the new president is chosen by a popular vote in the House of Representatives, and the new vice president is chosen by a popular vote in the Senate. Only in this highly unique circumstance can the president and vice president be from two different political parties. A candidate can lose the popular vote and still win the electoral vote. In fact, this happened several times throughout our nation’s history. Remember Al Gore? If a general election candidate were to win the popular vote by a small margin in states with a large number of electoral votes (e.g. California, New York, Florida, etc.) and lose the popular vote in all states with a small number of electoral votes (e.g. Alaska, Delaware, Vermont, et. al.), they would win the electoral vote while losing the popular vote. Statistical estimates indicate that, in the most unlikely case, the President can win as little as 22% of the popular vote and still earn enough electoral votes to win the general election. Lowkey fucked up though.
INAUGURATION The new President of the United States is sworn in on January, 20 at 12pm of the year immediately following the general election. Then it's fucking illuminated kin.
OTHER UBER IMPORTANTE ELECTIONS Many offices are up for re-election at the same time as the U.S President. These include all of the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, one-third of the seats in the U.S. Senate, the seat for many states’ governors, most cities’ mayors, and many more. Sometimes, positions in federal and state judiciaries open up, too. For these positions, new members are chosen by appointment, rather than election. Elections for both houses of U.S. Congress, the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Since U.S. Senate terms last 6 years, but elections occur every two years. During the 2016 presidential election cycle, one-third of the senate will be replaced. House of Representatives terms last only 2 years, but elections are also every 2 years. This means that in 2016, an election will be held for every seat in the House of Representatives. The most important federal level appointments that occur are for the U.S. Supreme Court. There are a total of nine Justices on the Supreme Court, and each one is appointed by the U.S. President at the time that a vacancy appears. Since these nine positions are chosen by appointment, not by election, they are guaranteed for life, i.e., there is no preset term length, and the Justices can remain on the Supreme Court until they retire.
OTHER UBER IMPORTANTE ELECTIONS Elections for the governor and state legislatures. One major difference is that while the President is elected by way of the electoral college, governors are elected by way of popular vote. However, the election process for both the federal-level and state-level legislature is almost exactly the same. The most important state level appointments that occur are for state Supreme Courts Justices. Although the rules of appointment and number of Justices differs from state to state, many of the same concepts that apply to federal-level judicial appointments also apply to state-level judicial appointments, e.g., these positions are guaranteed for life. The positions up for election at the local-level at the same time as the presidential election vary widely. Nevertheless, there are certain offices that are generally replaced across the vast majority of cities. These positions include, but aren’t limited to, city mayors, county school boards, and county sheriff.
VOTECABULARY CHEAT SHEET Primary election is when party members cast their votes privately (you know, in like...booths in stuff). This is to determine who will be the official candidate for that political party. Caucus is also used to determine who is finna run for president under that political party, except the way this is determined in through a public meeting where homies meet up to discuss who they think is best, and a vote is taken when people physically move to the side they side with. Delegate a member of a political party that is selected to go to the National Party Convention to cast their pledged vote for the candidate based on the two events above. Superdelegate similar to the good ol' delegate, only the superdelegate doesn't have a pledged vote, and they can vote for whoever the hell they want! National Party Convention where the delegates and superdelegates meet to select the candidate of their party running for presidency. Electoral College is the peeps we are actually indirectly voting for the president through. Our votes go to members of the electoral college, and then they vote for the president. The General Election is when the power is with the people, where one member from each political party runs with a VP and we vote!
YOUR TURN
THE VOTING PROCESS Registration & more
ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE? Okay boo, now that you know all about the election process, we got to get you to the polls. To vote in a federal election in the United States, potential voters must meet certain requirements. No matter which state you live in, you are eligible to vote if: You are a U.S. citizen. You meet your state’s residency requirements. You are 18 years old. Some states allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries and/or register to vote if they will be 18 before the general election. You cannot be currently serving a prison term, on parole, or in another form of post-release supervision (though check with your local election board to be sure, since some states, such as Vermont or Maine, do not regulate felon voting). Check to see if you are already registered: Visit Canivote.org to figure out if you're already registered. Some states give you a form to register when you apply for your driver's license, so you might have registered without knowing it. If you're not, this site can hook you up with the registration form or you can access it directly at the Election Assistance Commission's website. It's available in multiple languages, too!
REGISTER TO VOTE?
If you have not yet registered to vote, then there are four main ways to do it, depending on your state. You can register online in certain states, send in a National Mail Voter Registration Form, register in person, or fill out an absentee ballot. The most important thing is that you're aware of your state's deadline for registration, which typically falls between 2-4 weeks before an election. You also need to make sure you have the appropriate personal information, such as your name and address, before you register. Registration in person is easy and you can do it at any of the following locations: the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), election offices, your state's voter registration office, the Armed Service recruitment centers, public assistance facilities, or state-funded disabilities centers. You can also register online if your state is one of the 20 states that allows it. You can check to see whether or not you can vote online in your given state. If you can, then all you have to do is to visit the Federal Election Assistance Commission site to find your state's registration forms. You can also easily print, fill out, and mail in a National Mail Voter Registration Form. As long as you don't live in Wyoming, North Dakota, or the U.S. territories, then this option will work for you.
REGISTER TO VOTE? Just in case you don't know: An absentee ballot is a ballot completed and typically mailed in advance of an election by a voter who is unable to be present at the polls. If you're a college student attending school in a different state, and want to register to vote in your home state or your school state, this is some gucci stuff to know: You have dual residency, so you can register back home or on campus as long as you don't register to vote in both states. The choice is your's! Two things to remember: If you register to vote back home, you'll need to remember to sign up for an absentee ballot. Students with scholarships or tuition that require residency should check with their financial aid office before registering to vote back home. For example, if you have a scholarship that requires California residency, you should ensure that registering to vote in a different state will not affect your status.
ABSENTEE & EARLY VOTING 1. Apply in writing to your city election commission. Include your name, address (as registered), ward and precinct if known, the address where you'd like your absentee ballot sent, and your signature. If you're voting in a primary, you'll also need to include the party for which you wish to vote. The majority of states allow for in-person and postal voting when it comes to doing it early. Some states are only postal or in-person and some have no early voting at all. Check your state's policies to see if this is an option. 2. Wait for your ballot to arrive. It should come with instructions and various return envelopes. However, if your state allows it, you can go cast your vote in-person before the election (depending on the state, it will be somewhere between 4 and 50 days prior to election day) to avoid the lines and hassle. 3. Fill out your ballot. Then, place it in the smaller brown envelope. Read and complete all information on the front of the envelope. Sign it when you're done. Make sure all your choices are clearly marked — don't leave any room for interpretation. Follow the instructions on the ballot carefully.
ABSENTEE & EARLY VOTING 4. Place the small envelope into the bigger envelope. Place the proper postage on it, and then mail it to your city/town hall. The address should be indicated somewhere on the form or envelope. Alternatively, you or a family member can hand your ballot to your local election official. Once more, check with your state's policy. It must be received by the closing time on the date of the election day unless you're voting internationally. In that case, it can be received no more than 10 days after the election, so long as it is postmarked on or before election day.
LEARN WHERE TO VOTE
Learn where your polling place is. Your town probably has dozens. They can be almost anywhere — government buildings, offices, restaurants, and sometimes even citizens' houses. Once in a while a certain area will let you vote anywhere, but most places require you to vote at your polling place. Make sure you know how to get there well before election day. Vote411.org can inform you of your polling place. Your state's election office website can do the same, too. If you've recently registered, you should make sure to get confirmation of your registration at least a few weeks before it's time to vote. Check in with your state or local offices if you still haven't received word of your official registration. Find out what you need to bring to the polling place. Each state has different requirements for what you need to bring for identification, whether it's a driver's license, voter registration card, or bank statements or bills with your name and address on them.
SAMPLE BALLOT Obtain a sample ballot. This will let you know exactly who is running for which office, how many seats are open for the office, and how many votes you are entitled to cast for each office. It will also spell out any referendum or initiatives appearing before the voters. If you're new to voting, it may be a good idea to familiarize yourself with your state's ballot. Each one is a bit different. Mark your sample ballot according to your choices. This will help prevent confusion once you get to the voting booth and will allow you to cast your vote in the way you intend.
EDUCATE YOURSELF Listen up fam! Educate yourself on the candidates and the issues. Read the newspapers and look for voters' guides which may be published by nonpartisan groups in your area. Listen to radio or TV candidate debates or attend a debate or a forum in person. In local elections, where coverage is limited, it can be very effective to pick up the telephone and speak to a candidate. Use the internet! Entire websites are dedicated to outlining the candidates' platforms, helping you learn about their stances and whose beliefs are in line with yours. It's important to know your candidates so that you can make what you believe to be the best selection. Really dig and find out why you identify with a candidate, or why not. Maybe they fake as fuck, or real as it gets. Don't always trust the media, you know they always startin' shit and spreading that gossip. Follow multiple sources and stay woke!
VOTING FORREAL NOW 1. Go to your polling place. Obtain a ballot and follow any instructions you are given. Be prepared for a wait — if you go before or after normal working hours, you may have a line ahead of you. Bring a book or something to kill time, otherwise you might have to resort to socializing while you're waiting. Bring identification with you! It's best to have a driver's license or passport; however, some places will allow you to bring in a check stub or some sort of bill (again, check your state's policies). Before you vote, you'll need to check in with the official volunteers so they can know who you are and can give you a sticker or another "reward" for voting. If you have any questions about the voting process, they would be happy to answer them. 2. Fill out the ballot as you wish. Then, turn your ballot in to the appropriate person or feed it into the machine. There are four types of counting you may run into: Optical Scan Paper Ballot Systems: These are similar to devices used for standardized testing, as if voting were like a multiple choice test. Once the ovals are filled in or the arrows are connected, the ballot goes through an optical scanner which can record the markings as a vote. This is done either at the polling place itself or at some central location. If this is what you run into, harken back to your college days and fill in each bubble darkly and evenly; don't use Xs, dashes, slashes, or check marks.
VOTING FORREAL NOW
Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) Systems: This is a touchscreen computer that you walk up to to record your vote; there is no paper. All the info is stored on a flash drive that is removed upon the poll's closing and sent to a central location by a police officer. Since touchscreens are foreign technology to some, instructions can't be missed. It's pretty simple, though; push the start button and you're off. If you wish to vote for a write-in candidate, there's a keyboard, too. Ballot Marking Devices: This method is reserved for disabled voters. It sort of combines the first two technologies into one — a touchscreen computer (that works well for the visual and hearing impaired) records the input information onto a physical ballot. It is then scanned or even hand-counted. New York City, believe it or not, still goes mano-a-mano with their ballots, old-fashioned as this tactic may seem The Punch Card Ballot: If you were around for the 2000 election, you're familiar with this version — it was used in several counties in Florida and led to weeks of discrepancy. Since then, only four counties across all of the US have kept this methodology, so odds are you won't run into it. What once was prevalent in 30% of America has now been relegated to Bonneville, Clearwater, Franklin, and Shoshone counties — all in Idaho.
TEST RUN: TRY IT FOR YOURSELF.
The actual ballot is not nearly as legible as this, there are also way more parties and candidates (who run as independents).
Electors for President & Vice President of the United States
C . Write In
A. Democratic
B. Republican
For President & Vice President
For President & For President & Vice President Vice President
Bernie Sanders & Elizabeth Warren
Anyone but Trump & Not a piece of shit
Justices of the Supreme Court
Bartholomeu the homie
Damn Daniel
Representatives in Congress
Champagne Papi
Nickelback
State Senator
Cheryl yo girl
Tommy the fuck boi
Member of Assembly
Why you always lyin guy
Taylor Swift
Lady Gaga & Beyonce
VOTING FORREAL NOW Review your ballot. If you want to make sure you cast your vote correctly, you may want to spend a minute reviewing your choices and making sure that your ballot was cast successfully, whether you fed it into a machine or turned it in another way. If anything does seem to be amiss, call over one of the poll workers — they'll be able to help.
VOTING FORREAL NOW SOURCES:
1. A majority of information used was from the cool cat, Jon Hughes, who is the author of VoteForBernie.org. He kindly let me use the information he wrote, with minor edits (adding my occassional joke here and there). Go check his site out for more info! 2. https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote
VOTING FORREAL NOW Useful ass links: Register to Vote:
http://www.rockthevote.com/?referrer=https://www.google.com/ https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote#item-212126 http://www.eac.gov/assets/1/Documents/Federal%20Voter%20Registration_6-25-14_ENG.pdf http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/electronic-or-online-voter-registration.aspx#table
Absentee Ballots:
https://votebymail.longdistancevoter.org/
Check to See if You Can Vote: https://canivote.org/
More Info:
https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote
You totally got this family, don't trip chocolate chip! Oh, and remember...
YOUR VOTE COUNTS.
By Yu Ling Wu