You may remember that after the November 2008 general election, I wrote an entry talking about how I was considering using absentee balloting all of the time for the foreseeable future. Well, earlier this week I signed up for the Civilian Absentee Ballot program where I’ll receive an absentee ballot for all general elections until I ask for otherwise.
It’s not that I don’t like the whole voting booth experience, it’s that it is very hard (and expensive) for someone who rents in one part of the state to travel to another part of the state to cast a single vote. Plus, add in the fact that I generally have to go to work on Election Day and you get a real problem in terms of traveling logistics. If there is an option available to cast an absentee ballot in place of making the trip and having to juggle a ridiculous schedule, then why not take it?
For those of you who are registered in Morris County and looking to have an absentee ballot sent to you instead of having to go to the polls, feel free to click here to download the very easy to fill out, one page application. I think that the Civilian Absentee Ballot is a great option to get more people voting more consistently.
Hey Joe,
Shouldn’t you be registered in the county of your residency? I mean Morris County is pretty red already and you could dilute blue where you are at. If it is to keep Garrett in office well don’t worry about him he’s safe.
Besides I interpret what you are doing to be against the law or certainly bending it. Why do you keep your parents address?
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Voting_laws_in_New_Jersey
Do better research next time! From the website that you linked: “In New Jersey, any voter can now vote by Absentee Ballot for any election.” From the state’s election website (http://www.njelections.org/vote-options.html): “Vote using an Absentee Ballot. In New Jersey, you do not need a reason.”
If you’re referring to not registering in the county where I live, then I have two comments. First, as for your interpretation, I quote Artie Lange quoting Christian Bale – “Oh, good for you!”
Second, the law (which is butchered on that Wikipedia-based website that you linked) says that you have to re-register when you change your registered address. I’ve never changed my registered address for a variety of reasons which I don’t need to get into here.
The biggest reason, though, is that I’m still transient in my residency. In the past ten years I’ve lived in Ocean Township, Long Branch, West Long Branch, Tinton Falls, Asbury Park, and Deal. Sure, they’re all in the same county, but who’s to say that at the end of my current lease I won’t go back to Morris County or Mercer County or anywhere else? I plan on changing my county of residency once I purchase a home.
In essence, I’m under the same portion of the law that allows college students to remain registered in their hometowns versus where they attend college. That part of the law is not on the wiki site that you link and is called the “Primary Residence” clause. If a college student (or anyone, really) doesn’t consider their existing residence their primary residency (I do not consider where I currently rent as my primary residency), then they have the option of not registering where they currently live and remaining registered at their family address.
Your red and blue comments are lost on reality as I’m not registered as a Republican or Democrat and I vote for both. I don’t know who Garrett is, either.
[...] up my absentee ballot from my post office box. As some of you may recall, I’ve decided to go all absentee ballot, all of the time. Actually, this only counts for the “big” elections since the state doesn’t allow [...]