PA. Official Voting Guide - Absentee and Other Info.

[JPZenger]

This is official State voting info. for Pennsylvania, including the rules and procedures for absentee ballots, etc.

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/voting/lib/voting/guide/engguide.pdf

Remember, if someone is voting for the first time in their election district, they are required to bring ID. If they don't have it, they must be allowed to complete a "provisional ballot." This process may intimidate some new voters, who are the key to the election.

[Eurobabe]

1. what about a Chester Co. college student

who is now at UPitt? What should she do?

[DebJ]

2. If she moved to a dorm, she can EITHER register at the new

location/address, OR vote at her 'home' address.

I tell college kids here that
a)it's easier and more fun to go to the poll near your dorm with your buddies and then watch the results/party
b)frankly I don't trust absentee ballots (and what I don't say is, you likely won't bother to fill out the application for one or if you do, fill out the actual ballot and MAIL the thing!)

[JPZenger]

3. Response About College Student

In some places across the country, there are some local voting offices that try to prevent college students in dorms from registering at their dorm address.

It is critical in any case to make sure that a person is only registered at one address.

There are deadlines for the requests for an absentee ballot - don't miss them, and don't miss the return date deadline.

If a college student reasonably has a choice between registering at their college address or their parents address, they should choose the location that will have the most impact. If both addresses are in the same state, then choose the location that has the most competitive race for Congress.

[happyslug]

5. But Pittsburgh will re-elect Doyle with or without her vote....

So the real issue will her vote for a Democrat in Chester County help that Democrat win? If yes I would advise her to vote absentee in Chester County (I am assuming she want to Vote Democratic, this is the Democratic Underground).

Remember this election is NOT just for the President and the US Senate but also the House of Representatives. While the President and any Senator must run state wide, members of the House are elected by Districts. We must try not only to win the Presidency and the Senate but also the house and that means as many votes for Democrats in Contestant-able districts as possible.

For people who do not understand the whole situation, remember in 2001 The GOP controlled the State House, Senate and Governorship thus the GOP had an almost free hand to gerrymander Pennsylvania. One way the GOP did this was to put as many Democrats into a District as possible while than putting only solid majority of Republicans into the rest. Thus you can have four districts which taken as a whole is 50% Democratic and 50% Republican, but divided in such a way that one of the Four District is 90% Democratic while the other three are 60% Republican (Thus in most elections the Republican win 3 out of the 4 seats).

Doyle is in such a District, the GOP never had any intentions of ever winning in Doyle's District. My Representative (Murtha) is in the same situation, overwhelming Democratic. Why? So the GOP could make the House District in the South Hills of Pittsburgh as Republican as possible, as while as increase the Republican edge in the rest of the state. Now one side affects of this is if there is a big DEMOCRATIC turnout the GOP will lose seats that they thought were solid (i.e. the House District in Chester County).

Thus voting for Doyle will not matter, he is in no matter what happens in this election, the big question will her vote help the Democrat Running for the house seat in Chester County? If yes, VOTE ABSENTEE IN CHESTER.

[IronLionZion]

4. If you register at a new place, remember to unregister the old place!

and I'm voting absentee because my votes are needed back home in PA, and I am in college/internship in the dark blue state of NY.

call the elections office to make sure. And this is not the election to blow off because the Simpsons are on or something.