How to register to vote in the USA.
How to register to vote in the USA.
America has come a long way from the suffrage days of British Colonial rule in the 17th century. It was a time when only property and standing were all that counted. Indeed it was a time when even in the newly formed 1660 Plymouth Colony, voting rights were restricted to only a few who had a property they could call their own.
It would take a Civil War, the passing of both the “Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution” in 1920, which granted women the right to vote, and the “Civil Rights Act of 1960” before all people, regardless of age, color, race or creed gained full voting rights in America.
Life before the vote for all, and why should you vote?
Today, if you are a legal resident of the United States of America, you have the right to vote in a federal election no matter where you choose to live. However, as mentioned above, it was not always like this. Especially in the bad days of Colonialism, an era where it seems most colonies not only restricted voting to white males but also to how much property value that person had.
If you lived in Connecticut, you would need an estate valued at $50.00 to be able to vote (sounds relatively small, but in the 18th century, this was a colossal amount to have). In Delaware, you would be required to have at least 50 acres of land and once again property with a value of at least $50.00, Georgia you would need fifty acres of land, Maryland, fifty acres and property valued to at least $50.00, Massachusetts Bay an estate which had an annual profit of at least $50.00, New Hampshire, $60.00 of personal property, New Jersey, at least one hundred acres of land plus $60.00 worth of private real estate property, New York, $50.00 of own property or land, North Carolina, 50 acres of land, and Pennsylvania: 50 acres of land or property,
There were many other regulations and stipulations put in-place by governors of pre-civil war America, all set in place to ensure that just the rich and powerful had the right to vote, with some areas even stipulating that to be able to vote, you would require a house that was at least 12ft by 12ft, situated on a minimum of 50 acres of vacant land or 25 acres if the land was cultivated.
Thankfully today, none of these burdensome regulations are in place, and all have the right to vote, but make no bones about it. If you want a government that will represent your actual values, then vote. If you do not vote, you do not have the right to moan or complain about what your politicians are either saying or doing, so whenever you get the chance to vote, then vote and have your say, as it is your right. This right has been given to us by many of our ancestors, who, for whatever reason, wanted to ensure a better place for our future, our children.
So how do I register to vote in the USA?
1st up, you have to be a U.S. citizen to vote in any federal or state-local elections.
Who Can Vote?
As stated above, you must be a U.S. citizen and meet all residency requirements. You must be 18 years or older before the date of the pending election day. Although that being said, 26 states do not explicitly address any age requirements for registration and instead allow them to register if they become of age before the next election, with the result that some states allow young people who are as young as 16 years to register as long as they meet the age requirement on or before the upcoming election. My advice is that if you live in any of the American States named below, get in touch with your state election officials there.
Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, Minnesota, Michigan, Montana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Other anomalies to the above include 14 states– Colorado, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, and Washington, plus DC allow preregistration at the early age of 16.
The states of Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia allow 17-year-olds to register. Alaska allows anyone under the age of 18 to register within 90 days of an election.
Missouri, Georgia, and Iowa all permit 17.5-year-olds to register again as long as they turn 18 before the allotted election. Finally, Texas allows their 17 years and ten months old young to register, once again only if they turn 18 before the day of the election.
The only American State which does not require any registration (they rely on people just turning up) is North Dakota.
How does a homeless person register to vote in the USA?
Tragically, as of 2018, it was estimated that at least 553,000 homeless people were dwelling on the streets of America on any given night, winter or summer. That means that 0.17% of America’s citizens use a park bench or a shop doorway as their home, and let’s not forget that most of these people are on the street through no fault of their own. Furthermore, many of these unfortunate people are Veterans who have served their country for us all to live in a country that gives us the freedom to vote in the first place, so it only fits that they also should be given the freedom to vote. The next time you meet one of these heroes, remember that most will have no access to the news media, so ensure you let them know of the following.
In the tragic event that you become homeless, please be aware that you can go to any registration office or homeless shelter to register to vote in America. You can also deem anywhere you decide as your physical address, and I include a park, vacant lot, or homeless shelter.
