To the polls!

I am often annoyed by the e-mails that the Michigan Democratic Party sends to me, as I have no money to give. None. At all. The last one contained a few useful links, however, and reminded me that around this time of year I usually post some election-related material (like this, and this).

October 9th is the deadline to register to vote in order to be eligible for the presidential election, so if you haven’t done so already, register now at the site the MDP sent, which seemed reputable and non-partisan when I clicked through some of it.

You can also confirm your Michigan registration or look at a sample ballot here, or get other voting related questions answered at the Michigan Voter Information Center Website.

As I’ve shared in the past, Michigan requires identification in order to vote, but if you don’t have ID you can simply sign an affidavit and vote anyway. Details from the Secretary of State about the law and how to get a state ID card if you’d like one can be found here.

ACLU Voting Rights Guide: This has information on what to do if you're told you can't vote at the polls, including the Election Protection Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE and the Michigan Bureau of Elections 1-517-373-2540. You can also visit their Let Me Vote site to learn about state-by-state voting rights.

I’ve actually already got my absentee ballot since I’ll be in Seattle for a residency interview the day before election day, and likely flying home or getting ready to at the time when I’d need to be at the polls. If you’ve got yours too, check out the following websites to get information about the candidates. When I get to my ballot later in the month, I’ll try to post some updated links to information about the more obscure elections, which often don’t make it into national analyses.

League of Women Voters: They collect information about the candidates and line it up so you can compare their views on different questions.

Citizens Research Council of Michigan: Look here for nonpartisan analysis of the ballot initiatives that we'll be voting on here in Michigan.

Still have questions or didn’t find what you were looking for? If you don’t live in Michigan, visit www.publius.org to print out a ballot, find your polling place, and find contact information for local officials, or check your local Secretary of State website for details on how to vote near you.