So You Think You're Registered to Vote?

Hello, Friend!

Have you registered to vote? (If not…read on!)

If you are, great! Now the real work begins…and here is what you can do.

What do we mean by this?

Registering to vote is a major privilege, honor, right, and duty in itself. But it does not end there.

Did you know that we receive reports almost daily of citizens stating that their registered party affiliation has been changed, or they have been moved to “Inactive” status, or even…and this is one of the worst feelings…that they have previously gone in to vote only to be told that they are not a registered voter?

Primarily, there are steps you can take to prevent this from happening to you, what to do if this happens to you, and then we can get into what you can do as a volunteer.

As an individual, you can confirm your registration status by (*drum roll*) heading to our Scan. Check. Protect. page! From there you can register to vote, confirm your registration, cancel your voter registration from old rolls, track your mail-in ballot, and more! Plus, this is all done from the states’ websites so the risk of your information being shared through a third-party registration website decreases tenfold.

What to do:

• First, know your state’s registration deadline. We cannot stress this enough. You must know this to not only register, but to conduct what we like to call “voter roll maintenance”. Which leads us to the next step…
• Using Scan. Check. Protect., confirm you are registered up until your deadline. This will ensure you are not caught off guard when you go in to vote and told you are no longer registered. Yes, some states allow same-day registration, but many don’t! Be one step ahead.
• Confirm you are not registered on any old rolls. Even if it has been many years, always, always check to see if you have been removed from a state’s voter roll and that your registration has not been switched back to “Active” status. (Yes, that happens!)

How to serve:

• Set up a non-partisan voter registration booth. The most overlooked detail at any registration booth is getting citizens both registered in their current state and unregistered from states they have lived in before. With our elections being as untrustworthy as they are, we have got to make sure our rolls are as clean as possible and unfortunately, that seems to be up to us. Now that you’re a pro on what to look out for, educate others! You can also:
  • Print out this instructional PDF to display on your table. We like these table toppers!
  • Need SCP stickers? You know, those fun ones that the TTV Team has passed out thousands of at events? Feel free to email [email protected] and we will get you our sticker templates and a couple of places to order from!
  • If you’re unsure of where to start, always write us and we will get you step-by-step instructions on everything to need to know and what to bring to have your own booth setup!

An example of one of our on-site event Scan. Check. Protect. tables.

Secondly, what do you do if you are told you are not registered or that you “already voted”?

• Vote provisionally. Many citizens are either unaware of their right to vote provisionally or they are simply not offered the option to do so.
• Challenge your vote. In the event that you are told you “already voted”, you must then go into your local jurisdiction to challenge. Pro tip: an in-person ballot will always take precedence over a mail-in one
• Keep an eye on your voter history. Most states have your history readily available under the “Am I Registered?” links from Scan. Check. Protect. Otherwise, you can always log in through your county’s portal or you can call your county to inquire.

When you serve in your community, knowing all of the above is crucial so that you can spread the word. We wish registering to vote was enough, but…with the great power of voting, comes great responsibility (and maintenance!)

Be sure to join Catherine on Thursday, 9/12 at either 12pm or 6pm ct on the Onward Community to review VoteAlert, a True the Vote web-based app to report fraud or other abnormalities during elections. Whether you’re a voter or an election worker, VoteAlert makes it easy for you to submit incidents live - straight to our team!

Truethevote.org also has a wealth of tools and knowledge! Check out our “Engage” tab for ways to get involved!

You may also reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions.

God bless you and God bless America!

Onward,
Your TTV Team

PS. Tune in every Wednesday at 12pm ct on the Onward Community for our live Wednesday Open Mics! Questions? Concerns? Feedback? Now is your time to connect! If you’re not already, register to become a Community Member. We’d love to have you!

/