pudge's Journal: Check the Address, Maybe?

Also in the mail today, I got an application from the Massachusetts State Republican Party. It was a form to register to vote by absentee. In Massachusetts.

It was addressed to me, at my home here in Washington.

Maybe they could've restricted this mailing to people with MA addresses? Chances are if I am still an MA resident who is living in WA (perhaps, I live away from home for a job ... many states let you do that), I am already registered absentee. And otherwise, well, I shouldn't be registering in MA.

well then test them out

[nocomment]

See if you can actually register and vote. Test the system out.

Re:

[pudge]

That would require me to commit fraud. So, no thanks. :-)

Re:

[StalinsNotDead]

Well, according to the gray area next to your journal entry you've a degree in journalism. Journalists can't commit fraud. They uncover corruption and whatnot. So you're in the clear. ;-)

I don't know....

[bmetzler]

I think that having an out-of-state address is the strongest indicator that you probably won't be in the precinct to go to the polls on Nov 7th. How are they supposed to know if your residence is actually out of state, or you just move out for the winter or something like that? I'm guessing that most people who are living outside the state over an election do not instinctively know that they can or should vote absentee. So to mail a notice to out-of-state registered voters makes sense.

Brent

Re:

[RevMike]

Residency rules can be odd, and they vary widely from place to place and for different purposes. For some purposes it comes down to "intent". If you move from MA to WA with the intent that move is temporary, even if it for several years, you can maintain your MA residency. This is to cover people going away for education, military duty, long term job assignments, etc.

In general, residency rules aren't very stringent unless you are attempting to either collect some benefit from the state (resident tuiti