Monday, October 13, 2008

Presidential Election, Registering to Vote, and the Questions

The presidential election is just three weeks away. If you're a Massachusetts resident, you have until Wednesday, October 15 to register to vote.

The three ways to register:
While the presidential question (McCain/Palin vs. Obama/Biden) looms large, there is more at stake this election than just who will be the leader of the free world. You should have received a voting information brochure in the mail a few weeks ago. The questions on the MA ballot are as follows:

Question 1: Whether or not the state of MA should reduce its state income tax to 2.65%. A "yes" would support this change, a "no" would indicate you do not support the change.

Question 2: A reduction in the legal penalties for persons holding 1 oz or less of marijuana. (Details are on this website.) A "yes" indicates that you would support this new systems of penalization, a "no" vote would make no change to the current laws.

Question 3: This question is in regards to dog racing (typically greyhounds). A "yes" vote would support a ban on dog racing in which betting occurs, effective Jan. 1, 2010. A "no" vote would make no changes to the current system of dog racing in Massachusetts.

If you're one of those kids (who is 18+) who likes to be uber-prepared, fill out this vote checklist before you leave the house. It will make your time in the voting cubicle that much shorter.

If you'd like a more comprehensive outline of the ballot questions in Massachusetts, read Evan's post - Your MA State Ballot.

So now you have no excuses. You're educated on the issues on the ballot, you know how to register to vote, all you have to do now is set your alarm 15 minutes earlier so you can get down to your local polling location. Don't forget to bring some food donations, and I'll see you there!

Related Posts: Presidential Election and Free Speech; 2008 Vote: Whys and Hows of the Electoral College; Are you making your decision based on looks?; Passive Electioneering; Absentee Voting; Handgun Bans and Dogs
Photo courtesy of Oberazzi.

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