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If you're not registered to vote, want to vote absentee, want to find your polling place, or know someone who's not, sign up here:

http://www.VoteForChange.com

Then vote for Barack Obama for President.

Obama Voting Ground Game Produces HUGE Results In Virginia

The photo above shows the long line of people that has formed just under the awning of this shopping center.  

One thing the polls don't take into account is the massive voter registration drive and "get-out-the-vote" effort the campaign as developed.  Here's an example.  I saw this by Todd Smyth on the Obama listserv:

Just another day of canvassing and churning out good numbers for Barack Obama? Uh.... Not quite. It's Saturday morning and I went to the Mt Vernon and Lee District Obama office (Rout 1, Fairfax, VA) to drop off and pick up stuff for today's canvass. We had 7 satellite staging areas in addition to the campaign office and my crappy cell phone camera doesn't do it justice but as I was leaving to head to my assigned canvass location, I snapped the picture below of dozens and dozens of people lining up along the strip mall to sign in, pick up a canvass pack and knock on doors for Barack Obama.


I stored the picture, closed my camera and headed for my car when I saw another dozen people heading toward the long line and behind them a steady stream of cars rolling into the parking lot. I got out of there before I got boxed in and have to admit, I got a little choked up. These people were showing up on time at 10am on a beautiful Saturday morning to knock on doors for Barack Obama and to change the future for themselves and their children.


The scene at my assigned satellite canvass location was similar with 3 times the number of people expected. We had to pair people up and the canvass packs that had been printed for the entire weekend were gone by 11am. Experienced volunteers had to be called back into the office to create new canvass packs to handle the afternoon shift.


Among other amazing stories I heard today, Grace Nozaki registered 16 voters at the Fairfax Library and Holly Newry registered 45 voters at the WallMart in Kingstowne. Just an unbelievable day for Democracy.


I heard similar stories were going on all over Northern Virginia but couldn't get through to people because they are all swamped. We won't know the total numbers of doors knocked until tomorrow. Talk about being part of something bigger than yourself, Wow!

Virginia Voting Starts - GO OBAMA 08 - Vote Absentee for Obama Biden

According to TIME Magazine, early voting for the presidential race starts in Virginia next week.  Get out the vote to the Absentee Ballottiers for Obama.

Here's the information from the Virginia Absentee Ballot page:

Who May Vote Absentee?

Per § 24.2-700 of the Code of Virginia, the following registered voters may vote by absentee ballot in any election in which they are qualified to vote:

Any person who, in the regular and orderly course of his business, profession, or occupation or while on personal business or vacation, will be absent from the county or city in which he is entitled to vote;

Any person who is (i) a member of a uniformed service of the United States, as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 1973ff-6(7), on active duty, or (ii) a member of the merchant marine of the United States, or (iii) who temporarily resides outside of the United States, or (iv) the spouse or dependent residing with any person listed in (i), (ii), or (iii), and who will be absent on the day of the election from the county or city in which he is entitled to vote.  See Absentee Voting Procedures for Overseas Personnel (Military & Non-Military)

Any student attending a school or institution of learning, or his spouse, who will be absent on the day of election from the county or city in which he is entitled to vote;

Any person who is unable to go in person to the polls on the day of election because of a  disability, illness or pregnancy ;

Any person who is confined while awaiting trial or for having been convicted of a misdemeanor, provided that the trial or release date is scheduled on or after the third day preceding the election. Any person who is awaiting trial and is a resident of the county or city where he is confined shall, on his request, be taken to the polls to vote on election day if his trial date is postponed and he did not have an opportunity to vote absentee;

Any person who is a member of an electoral board, registrar, officer of election, or custodian of voting equipment;

Any duly registered person who is unable to go in person to the polls on the day of the election because he is primarily and personally responsible for the care of an ill or disabled family member who is confined at home; or

Any duly registered person who is unable to go in person to the polls on the day of the election because of an obligation occasioned by his religion.

Any person who, in the regular and orderly course of his business, profession, or occupation, will be at his place of work and commuting to and from his home to his place of work for eleven or more hours of the thirteen that the polls are open (6:00 AM to 7:00 PM).


Any registered and qualified voter may request a mail ballot for presidential and vice-presidential electors only by writing across the top of their absentee application "request ballot for presidential electors only."  A voter who votes a "presidential only" ballot may not later decide to vote the rest of the ballot.  The same procedures and deadlines apply as for other absentee applications and ballots.

New registrants who submitted their voter registration applications by mail must vote in person (either in-person absentee or at the polls on election day) unless the voter is a full time college student, absent active duty military, residing overseas, physically handicapped, age 65 or over (however, they must also list a qualifying reason for voting absentee, as age itself does not qualify a voter for an absentee ballot), or voting a "presidential only" ballot.

Any voter with a question about whether they qualify to vote absentee, or how to apply, should contact their local elections office.



How Do I Apply for an Absentee Ballot?
Overseas Personnel (Military & Non-Military) See Absentee Voting Procedures for Overseas Personnel (Military & Non-Military)

You can contact your local Voter Registration Office to request an absentee ballot application. You can either return the completed application to your local voter registration office either by mail or fax. The absentee ballot application must be received in your local voter registration office by the Tuesday before election day to receive a ballot by mail.


Alternatively, you can download The Virginia Absentee Ballot Application (on-line fillable pdf format). Or, if you are an absent active duty military voter (or spouse/dependent) or overseas voter you should download the Federal Post Card Application instead of the Virginia application.  You must have the Adobe™ Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view or print either portable document formatted (pdf) application.  If you do not have Adobe™ Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, you can download and install the Adobe™ Acrobat Reader free of charge.  After downloading the application form: 1) print the form, 2) read the instructions accompanying the form, 3) fill out the requested information on the form carefully, 4) sign the form and, 5) mail or fax the completed application  to your local general registrar's office by the Tuesday before election day to receive a ballot by mail.  (Note, if you email or fax the Federal Post Card Application, you must then mail the signed original to your local registrar, as it also serves as your registration application.)


Completing an absentee ballot application
Virginia law prescribes that Applications for absentee ballots shall be completed in one of the following manners:

1) In Person

An application completed in person shall be made not less than three days prior to the election in which the applicant offers to vote and completed only in the office of the local general registrar. The applicant shall sign the application in the presence of a registrar or the secretary of the electoral board.


By mail, electronic or telephonic transmission to a facsimile device

Applications can be made by mail, electronic or  by fax, if one is available to the office of the local general registrar. If a facsimile device is not available locally contact us . The application shall be sent to the appropriate local general registrar not less than seven days prior to the election in which the applicant offers to vote.


How often must you complete an absentee ballot application?
You must complete a separate absentee ballot application for each election in which you intend to vote absentee.

Exception:  You may file a single Federal Post Card Application at any time after the November general election to receive ballots for all elections that you are eligible to vote in during the next calendar year, if you are:

(i) a member of a uniformed service of the United States, as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 1973ff-6(7), on active duty, or

(ii) a member of the merchant marine of the United States, or

(iii) temporarily residing outside of the United States (but eligible for permanent registration in Virginia -- that is, your Virginia place of abode is still available to you whenever you return to Virginia), or

(iv) the spouse or dependent residing with any person listed in (i), (ii), or (iii) above.

Important Notice:
Your Federal Post Card Application will serve as your absentee ballot application for all elections that you are eligible to vote in for the next two regularly scheduled general federal elections. This means that you will receive absentee ballots automatically! It also means you are responsible for informing your local registrar of all and any address changes.     

If you have any questions or should require individual assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Vickie R. Williams by phone at 804-864-8932 or via email at vickie.williams @sbe.virginia.gov.   

Iowa Caucus Absentee Voting Confusion - Website Says "Yes" - Sec of State "No"

I just wrote a blog article on the Iowa Caucuses and investigated the Secretary of State's website regarding Absentee Ballots and elections.

The Secretary of State's office website discusses Absentee Ballot information but does not give any words at all on restrictions of use of the Absentee Ballot. Yet, the elections specialist there says that the Absentee Ballot can't be used for the Iowa Caucuses, just the general election.

They admit the website's in error. This is what it reads on Absentee Ballots:

Absentee Ballot Information

Applications for Absentee Ballots can be obtained Online in a PDF format, or mailed upon request from the Secretary of State.

Request for ballot should be made by mail to the County Auditor/Commissioner of Elections, in the county you are registered to vote in.

If the application is received so late that it is unlikely that the absentee ballot can be returned by mail in time to be counted on election day, the commissioner shall enclose with the absentee ballot a statement to that effect. The applicant can be hand deliver the ballot on Election Day before the polls close.

In requesting an absentee ballot, state your name, voting address, the address to which your ballot should be sent, and sign the request as you are registered. Absentee votes may be cast in person at your County Election Office (County Auditor) as soon as ballots are available.

In order for the ballot to be counted, the carrier envelope must be received in the commissioners office before the polls close on election day or be clearly postmarked by an officially authorized postal service not later than the day before the election, and received by the commissioner not later than noon on the Monday following the election.

Those in the Armed Forces need not register if they vote a military ballot. The request constitutes registration, with a county address. There is additional information and application forms on the Internet through the Federal Voting Assistant Program

Any qualified elector who becomes a patient or resident of a hospital or health care facility within three days prior to the date of an election, may request an absentee ballot during that period or on election day.

Helpful places with more information

Democratic State Central Committee
5661 Fleur Dr., 50321, Phone 244-5051
Republican State Central Committee
521 E. Locust St., 50309, Phone 282-8105