A friendly voting reminder

By Samantha Hayes, for NEWS 9

Sept. 16, 2008

It's going to be close. The most recent CNN national poll of polls out this afternoon shows a tie between the two Presidential candidates. John McCain and Barack Obama Each has the support of 46 percent of the voters. Eight percent are unsure. Consider the fact that we have fewer than fifty days to go until the election, and it's no wonder I found a friendly little reminder in my email inbox this morning. Rick Davis, John McCain's campaign manager wants everyone on McCain's mailing list to make sure they are registered to vote, and if they can, go ahead and vote now, if your state allows early voting, or with an absentee ballot. In the email Davis writes, "Voting early, or with an absentee ballot, is the best way to avoid the long line on Election Day and get your vote counted. Many states allow you to vote early by requesting an absentee ballot through the mail." The email then directs recipients to McCain's Web site to find out how to do both. Barack Obama's website is also urging supporters to do the same. On his home page, you can find out if you are registered to vote and apply for an absentee ballot.

From this point on, expect to the campaigns to be pressing their supporters to make sure they are registered because in many states time is running out. A quick check on the website votesmart.org shows the rules in each state. Many states require voters to be registered 30 days before the election. That's the case in several big battleground states like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Florida voters must be registered 29 days before the election. That's about 2 1/2 weeks from today.