Just days away from the Nov. 4 election, there are a few last-minute pieces of information you should know.
To make sure you’re registered to vote, visit www.canivote.org. Some students may need to contact their local elections offices directly. Voter registration in California is closed as of Oct. 20.
If voting absentee, make sure to fill out and return the ballot a soon as you can. Most absentee ballots must be received by the close of polls on Election Day (Nov. 4). However, some states – like North Carolina and Ohio – require voters to mail their ballots earlier.
Where to vote:
Biola students registered in the area can vote at several locations on Tuesday. The addresses of students’ particular polling places should be listed on their sample ballots.
One polling place is located in the City Hall Resource Room at 13710 La Mirada Blvd., across the street from Biola. Turn right onto La Mirada Boulevard, then left on Civic Center Drive. The Resource Room is located next-door to the library.
Granada Heights Friends Church at 11818 La Mirada Blvd. is another polling place option. Turn left onto La Mirada Boulevard, then turn right into the church parking lot after approximately one mile.
Students can also vote at the Mirada Hills Rehabilitation and Convalescent Hospital in the dining room. Turn left onto La Mirada Boulevard, follow it for about one mile, and turn into the facility at 12200 La Mirada Blvd.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
How to prepare:
On Election Day, make sure to bring proper identification. This includes either a current, valid photo ID or a government document verifying your name and address. A utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or government check is sufficient. Elaine Ruth, Deputy City Clerk of La Mirada, said that student ID also qualifies as picture ID.
Ruth advises students to “read the voting material online.” Lavote.net provides sample voter ballots, additional polling place locations and other voter information.
What happens next?:
Students aren’t the only ones anxious about the voting process. In states like Ohio, Colorado and Florida – all considered swing states – there is pressure to avoid duplicating a Florida 2000 fiasco, in which ballot confusion resulted in a more than month-long delay in announcing the election’s winner.
New voting systems also play into the anxiety over voting accuracy. In an attempt to clarify the process for voters, many voting facilities have decided to switch back to paper ballots. U.S. News and World Report said that this election marks the first decline in electronic voting since the technology emerged.
However, the election isn’t over when polls close Tuesday evening. By casting votes for the president and vice president, voters are really casting ballots for their states’ sets of electors.
On Dec. 15, the appointed electors will choose the next president. Out of the 538 electoral votes in the U.S., 270 are needed to win.
Sen. Barack Obama leads in California, which, at 55 electoral votes, holds more than any other state according to the Associated Press. Should there be a tie in electoral votes, the House of Representatives will elect the next president.
A recent Gallup poll reported that Obama has an 11-percentage-point lead over McCain – 52 percent to McCain’s 41 percent. On Oct. 22, however, the Associated Press reported that Obama was leading McCain 44 to 43 percent.
The inauguration of the United States’ next president is scheduled to take place at noon on Jan. 20, 2009.
