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Mou Khan
Mou Khan joined SAALT in January 2008 as our Program Assistant. She works on programs at SAALT including the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations, the Advocates for Community Empowerment program, the South Asian Speakers’ Bureau and Elections 2008. Mou graduated from Carleton College with a degree in Political Science and International Relations. She recently completed the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs in St. Louis. To reach Mou, please email mou@saalt.org.
Voter registration deadlines are coming up so GET REGISTERED!
- By Mou Khan
- Published 10/3/2008
Civic and political participation are core values here at SAALT. While its important to be engaged on a consistent basis, not just during election cycles, no one can deny that the act of voting is one of the most meaningful expressions of democratic participation. There's been a lot of talk about this election, and there's nothing wrong with getting swept up in the excitement of the presidential race.
If you need any additional convincing, check out this video:
It's important to remember that to be able to vote and have a say this election year, you need to be registered. Its not the most glamorous thing in the world, but if you live anywhere but Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Wisconsin or Wyoming (all states that offer same-day or Election Day registration) or North Dakota (which has no voter registration), you must register by your state's voter registration deadline to be eligible to vote on Election Day. To register to vote, go to www.rockthevote.com.
Another key thing to remember is that there are rules that can get you taken off the rolls as a registered voters. Anything from returned mail to moving away from the address listed on your registration can risk your eligibility to vote. So make sure to check your registration at www.canivote.org.
If you're not going to be able to vote at your regular polling place on Election Day, whether its because you go to school in a different state, can't make it away from work or are going to be out of town, you have to request an absentee ballot. Some states require you to provide a reason for voting absentee, others don't. To request an absentee ballot, visit https://electionimpact3.votenet.com/declareyourself/voterreg2_ret/ and choose "Request Absentee Ballot"
Google also has a cool new tool (at www.maps.google.com/vote) that looks up your address and offers links to your Board of Elections website where you can check your registration, request and absentee ballot and more. It also indicates that closer to Election Day it will be able to point you towards your polling place.
If you need any additional convincing, check out this video:
It's important to remember that to be able to vote and have a say this election year, you need to be registered. Its not the most glamorous thing in the world, but if you live anywhere but Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Wisconsin or Wyoming (all states that offer same-day or Election Day registration) or North Dakota (which has no voter registration), you must register by your state's voter registration deadline to be eligible to vote on Election Day. To register to vote, go to www.rockthevote.com.
Another key thing to remember is that there are rules that can get you taken off the rolls as a registered voters. Anything from returned mail to moving away from the address listed on your registration can risk your eligibility to vote. So make sure to check your registration at www.canivote.org.
If you're not going to be able to vote at your regular polling place on Election Day, whether its because you go to school in a different state, can't make it away from work or are going to be out of town, you have to request an absentee ballot. Some states require you to provide a reason for voting absentee, others don't. To request an absentee ballot, visit https://electionimpact3.votenet.com/declareyourself/voterreg2_ret/ and choose "Request Absentee Ballot"
Google also has a cool new tool (at www.maps.google.com/vote) that looks up your address and offers links to your Board of Elections website where you can check your registration, request and absentee ballot and more. It also indicates that closer to Election Day it will be able to point you towards your polling place.
