I I move out of state to go to college, I will only have two months to make sure I can vote in that state.
If I move to say, Pittsburg from out of state, how do I ensure that I will be able to register and vote in 2008. what documents will I need to bring? what should I watch out for?
Here are the residency requirements for the state of Pennsylvania. From what you wrote, you WILL be eligible to register to vote, as they have a 30-day residency requirement.
Here is some information from a website in the State of Pennsylvania with lots of good information:
Pennsylvania Voter Registration
To register You Must:
Be a citizen of the United States at least one month before the election;
Be a resident of Pennsylvania and your election district at least 30 days before the election; and
Be eighteen (18) on the day of the next election.
Note: You are not registered to vote until your application has been filled out, processed and accepted by the county voter registration officer. If accepted, the county registration office will send you via nonforwardable mail a Voter Identification Card. If you do not receive an Identification Card within 14 days of the date of your application, you should contact the Voter Registration Office
To obtain a Pennsylvania Voter Registration Mail Application or an application for "Absentee Ballot" visit the Office of Voter Services
Registration Forms are also available at libraries, township buildings, most post offices, and state liquor stores. The Voter Services Office does not mail applications.
The Online Pennsylvania Voter Registration Form is now available. You can complete the form online, print, sign and mail to the County’s Voter Services Office
If there is a change in the location of your polling place, you will be issued a new ID card and the new location will be printed on that card.
See below for frequently asked questions and the voter registration and absentee ballot application deadlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register to Vote?
You can pick up an application at most public buildings: Municipal Centers, Libraries, Liquor Stores, Post Offices. Fill out the application and submit it to the Voter Registration Office.
How do I change my address, party identification, name or any other detail pertaining to my voter registration?
Again, you can obtain a voter registration application at almost any public building, check off the box indicating there is a change, fill out the application and submit the application to the Registration Office.
Should I mail the application or take it to the Registration Office?
Either way is acceptable. If you are mailing the application to the office, send it to the following address:
Where do I vote?
In a great many cases, your polling location is printed on your Voter Identification Card.
How do I apply for an absentee ballot?
Absentee Ballot applications can be found at most public buildings: Municipal Centers, Libraries, and Liquor Stores. Post Offices do not normally stock absentee applications. Fill out the application and submit it to the Election Board Office, which is the same location and mailing address as the Voter Registration Office mentioned above.
Do post marks count when submitting an absentee ballot application or when returning the actual ballot?
No. The absentee ballot application must be in the Election Board Office no later that 5:00 pm on the Tuesday prior to the Election. The actual voted ballot must be in the Election Board Office no later than 5:00 pm on the Friday prior to the Election.
Deadlines for Applications & Ballots in 2007
Spring Primary, May 15, 2007
Absentee Ballots
Last Day for Absentee Ballot Applications……..May 8, 2007
Last Day for completed Absentee Ballots………May 11th at 5:00 pm
Voter Registration Applications
Last Day to Register Before the Primary……….April 16, 2007
First Day to Register After the Primary…………May 16, 2007
General Election, November 6, 2007
Absentee Ballot
Last Day for Absentee Ballot Applications…..…..October 30, 2007
Last Day for completed Absentee Ballots……….November 2nd, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Voter Registration Applications
Last Day to Register Before the General….…….. October 9, 2007
First Day to Register After the General….………. November 7, 2007
List of Polling Places
Legislative, Senatorial and Congressional Map Outline
Legislative, Senatorial and Congressional Districts for 2002 (Adobe PDF Format)
You can establish residency by moving to an address in the county you wish to vote in. Once you have a permanent address, you can register. You don’t need anything else except filling out the registration form and signing it under penalty of perjury. However, you should be careful and get a temporary driver’s license, and the Dept. of Moter Vehicles will mail your new license to the address you list. Also, you can show a copy of your lease, or receipt for rent, or a utllity bill, or telephone bill. You could also just go down and re-register your automobile if you have one. just in case. You can do something as simple as getting a library card in the city or county of where you live. Any government document sent to your new address by the US or state government will show your new address as recognized by a governmental agency. You may have to bring some photo identification to the polling place to show the poll workers ( I am unclear on that in Pennsylvania). If there are any questions, just call the registrar of voters or county clerk in that county. If you need help, a good source of good information is just as close as calling the county office of the political party you wish to register with. They can help you register to vote, and give you all the details.
Pennsylvania
Registration requirements:
· Must be a citizen of the United States at least one month before the next election
· Must be a resident of Pennsylvania and election district at least 30 days before the election
· Must be at least 18 years of age on the day of the next election
· Must not have been confined in a penal institution for the conviction of a felony within the last 5 years
Additional residency requirement: 30-day registration requirement
For more information: http://www.dos.state.pa.us/voting/