Voting: Our Constitutional Right

Since we’ve just finished watching the Democratic and Republican conventions, I thought that voting resources would be a timely topic. Don’t forget that this is a presidential election year and here are a few web resources to make things easier for you as you exercise your constitutional right as a citizen.

AlabamaVotes is a wonderful website set up by the office of the Alabama Secretary of State. You can find out immediately if you are registered to vote, your polling place, print out a voter registration form, find out about absentee voting, military and overseas voting, upcoming elections, candidates, sample ballots, etc.

Federal Voting Assistance Program provides voting information and assistance to overseas military personnel, their families, and overseas United States citizens.

Kids Voting USA is a voter education website targeting children. They have curriculum for grades K-12 which encourages mock election participation and family voter participation activities. Because Alabama doesn’t have an affiliate, curriculum has to be obtained from the national organization.

League of Women Voters is dedicated to protecting the voting rights of underrepresented communities. This organization was started in 1920 and was first dedicated to women’s suffrage but is now dedicated to preserving the voting rights of all voters.

Rock the Vote is a nonpartisan website dedicated to encouraging teens to participate in the voting process. You can find out how to register to vote, where to vote, election dates, and information about candidates and voter registration deadlines. They also sell Rock the Vote merchandise.

USA.gov says its mission is “to create and organize timely, needed government information and services and make them accessible anytime, anywhere, via your channel of choice.” They have a page for Voting and Elections that gives you information on candidates, state and local elections offices, voter registration requirements and deadlines, the Presidential election process, and voting and elections laws and history. This website provides good information for anyone interested in participating in the election process.

Vote Smart is a nonpartisan website dedicated to giving free factual information about political candidates. I was really impressed when I took a look at their founding board members.

I hope these websites will help you register to vote, answer voter ID questions, and give you information on the candidates.

Maya Jones
West End Branch Library