As I was walking out of Home Depot yesterday (yes, we do own a house...), I noticed a voter registration table. I'd been meaning to look something up, but it's always easier to convince someone else to do it for you. "When do you have to turn 18 to vote?" I asked. He looked at a sheet and told me "By Election Day."
Middle Guy will be 18 in October, and I'd looked forward to sitting down with him at the dining table, guiding him through the responsibility of his first election, carefully debating the issues, and generally acting like the pipe-smoking, cardigan wearing dad of fantasy.
So I called his cell from the parking lot.
"Hey, did you know you can register to vote? I got you one of the forms."
"Dad, I registered this summer when I was in Sacramento. I already sent in my absentee ballot."
Dreams die hard...
Good guy. :)
I just tuned 18 in December last year. I have dual citizenship (Canadian and American) because my mother was from New York state, which means I could have registered for an absentee ballot in the county where my mother was registered. Unfortunately, my mother died last year, so I have no idea what her address was and am therefore unable to complete the form. This really sucks. Anybody know if there's any way I could find this out, or am I up shit creek?
A.L.,
Have you received your absentee ballot request form yet?
While I live in a small, Calaveras, county, I've voted absentee the last 20 years and have never seen an application for absentee balloting until the sample ballot et al is mailed & received.
18 year old may be engaging in timeless activity of shining on adult, by telling them what they know they want to hear.
Mike
The interesting question is, did he cancel your vote?
Hey, at least he's voting. You can always dress yourself up in a tweed smoking jacket and Meerschaum (sp?) pipe and take a picture...
Mike -
We just get them here (pdf application form). Not a big problem...
A.L.
Matt M., call the NY Board of Elections at (518) 474-6220 and tell them your situation. They should be able to tell you how to vote.
A.L.
Once more, that's an application, not the ballot cards, those will be mailed at about the same time as the sample ballot.
I have no doubt your 18 year old is a child to be proud of, and will, correctly, gain more of your esteem and admiration as he lives his life.
But, he hasn't yet voted, and if he says he did, he's not being upfront about what he is doing/has done.
Mike