Eric Piehl comments on ☑ voting in your next election

Step 2: How to vote Step 3: Vote informed
Step 4: ☑ VOTE!

Step 5: Contact your elected officials Step 6: Futures

Why vote?

Many elections are won or lost by less than one or two percent; some by only a few tens or hundreds of votes. It happens every election cycle. When we vote, we do make a difference.

You 👥︎ Generation-Y and Generation-Z young people have more at stake than us geezers. We boomers will help you while we can, but really, the future is up to you.

If you are Gen-Y, Gen-Z, or a cool Boomer who understands urban symbology, please see Eminem explicit video Mosh above or to right, with support by the lyrics version. For full effect, display videos via select, then icons ⛶ fullscreen, ㏄ captions, ▶︎ Play, and × or Skip Ads ⏯︎.

This page provides some resources, to help you, with minimum work, VOTE:

In every election—in my precinct, the Primary elections are where the real decisions are made.
In every race—including those down-ballot races: Initiatives, judgeships and Drain Commissioner!

If you think you might run into 🛂︎ trouble while voting, there are remedies. Please review and 📄︎ print information in the 🛂︎ trouble section below.

Women weren't given the right to vote— they fought for it! Remember that as your next election nears.

Let's get started!

Step 1: Register to vote

Right now …

If you live in jurisdiction:	and you wish to:	then:

🇨🇦 Canada province Ontario	☑ Verify that I am Registered to vote	Elections Ontario
🇨🇦 Canada province Ontario	Register to vote	Elections Ontario

🇺🇸 USA 50 states + DC	☑ Verify that I am Registered to vote	VOTE411 > box Register to Vote, or go to your local city or township hall, or DMV or SOS office.
	Register to vote
	Registration deadline

Illinois	☑ Verify that I am Registered to vote	Illinois Online Voter Registration Website or go to your local city or township hall, or DMV office.
	Register to vote
	Registration deadline
Michigan	☑ Verify that I am Registered to vote	State of Michigan Voter Information Center > Your Voter Information If your Voter Registration address does not match your Drivers License address, you must reregister to vote as in the row below!
	I moved since my last Registration	By mail (.pdf), or online ExpressSOS > Update Address/Profile Details.
	Register to vote by mail	State of Michigan 📄︎ paper form (.pdf)
	Register to vote in-person	With the clerk just inside the front door of your local city hall or township hall State of Michigan Voter Information Center > Find Your Clerk, or with the State of Michigan 📄︎ paper form (.pdf) and/or Secretary of State Branch Office Locator.

Step 2: How to vote

📅︎ A month before you vote, or now if you don't know when that might be, …

If you live in jurisdiction:	and you wish to:	then:

🇨🇦 Canada province Ontario	When, where and how do I vote?	Elections Ontario > Voting in Ontario
🇨🇦 Canada province Ontario	Accessible voting methods	Elections Ontario > Voting in Ontario

🇺🇸 USA 50 states + DC	When is the next election?	VOTE411 > fill out section Enter Your Address > Enter
	Where do I vote?	VOTE411 > fill out section Enter Your Address > Enter
	How do I vote absentee?	VOTE411 > fill out section Enter Your Address > Enter > Absentee Ballot
	📄︎ Print a sample ballot	VOTE411 > fill out section Enter Your Address > Enter > section Links and Resources > link Sample Ballots (if needed, use link next) Then 📄︎ print this—yes, it is legal to print a what is on your ballot, 📝︎ mark it up, and bring with you into the voting booth!

California	each of these questions	Five weeks before the election, you should be mailed a 📄︎ booklet containing all this information, including a printed sample ballot, and a tear-off postcard to request an absentee ballot!
Illinois	When is the next election?	Illinois State Board of Elections—banner at top
	Where do I vote?	Illinois Online Voter Registration Website or go to your local city or township hall, or DMV office.
	How do I vote absentee?
	📄︎ Print a sample ballot
Michigan	When is the next election?	State of Michigan Voter Information Center > Your Voter Information
	Where do I vote?
	How do I vote absentee?	See the clerk just inside the front door of your local city hall or township hall State of Michigan Voter Information Center > Find Your Clerk or State of Michigan Voter Information Center > Absentee Voting.
	📄︎ Print a sample ballot	◦ If at above webpage > link View Your Sample Ballot. ◦ Or State of Michigan Voter Information Center. > do not select button ~~Try our mobile friendly site~~ > enter your identifying information > button Search > do not select button ~~Try our mobile friendly site~~ > link View Your Sample Ballot. ◦ Or easy one-page Michigan 2018 sample ballot with state-wide issues only (.pdf page 40). Then 📄︎ print this—yes, it is legal to print a what is on your ballot, 📝︎ mark it up, and bring with you into the voting booth!

While you are printing stuff, if you think you might run into 🛂︎ trouble while voting, please 📄︎ print anything you might need from the 🛂︎ trouble section below.

As it gets closer to time to vote, you will use your sample ballot to …

Step 3: Vote informed

A few days before you vote (I like Sunday, after the kids are in bed), …

Take your 📄︎ sample ballot (from the previous step ) (paper is better—your 🛂︎ poll workers may have rules against using a phone in the voting booth),
and 📝︎ mark it up in accordance with your values, and information from (sorted by mixture of usefulness and alphabetical):

Campaign flyers I received in the mail. As they come in, I just put them in a stack, until I am ready to do this analysis and 📝︎ mark up my sample ballot. Their presence tells me if locals are serious, or campaign tourists. Or are being promoted by outside organizations.
Right to Life endorsements: 🇺🇸 USA 50 states + DC (personalize myState). Michigan. Drills into judgeships and local boards that are otherwise difficult to research.
Michigan Family Forum: Michigan > Resources > Michigan Voter's Guide. Available shortly before General Elections, this is a great list of endorsements from Farm Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, and a variety of environmental, labor and LGBT organizations. One-stop shop!
Clean Water Action: 🇺🇸 USA 50 states + DC Michigan > Endorsements.
Emily's List: ~~🇺🇸 USA 50 states + DC~~ navigation links Our Candidates > state and local candidates, House, Senate and Governors.
League of Conservation Voters LCV endorsements: 🇺🇸 USA 50 states + DC yourState.
League of Conservation Voters LCV scorecard: 🇺🇸 USA 50 states + DC.
Progressive Voters Guide: Washington State.
Progressive Women's Alliance: West Michigan.
Sierra Club endorsements: 🇺🇸 USA 50 states + DC > link Federal Endorsements Michigan > link Sierra Club endorsed candidates and voter information.
League of Women Voters LWV: 🇺🇸 USA 50 states + DC > box Voter Guide or button Enter My Address in lower-right > button Show My Races > see each entry.
Michigan 2018 Voter Guide (print version online viewer) Michigan 2018 Voter Guide (.pdf).
Personal recommendations by me:
Personal recommendations to me: Visible only on my private site.
Helps on judges: ~~🇺🇸 USA 50 states + DC~~ (do last, not sure I like it).
Your 📰︎ local newspaper's editorial page , including what they think on topics of the day, such as good governance, gerrymandering and voting systems.
For any races in which you still have no information, ☑ check websites of organizations with which you disagree. Or vote for the woman!

While you go through this information, don't be afraid to vote for the lessor of two evils. Until we get instant-runoff / preferential / ranked-choice voting RCV described below we may have to hold our nose, and choose the least offensive candidate.

Step 4: ☑ Vote!

☑ Vote when, where and how you found out back in Step 2.

If voting in person, on that day, …

Take your 📝︎ marked-up sample ballot (from back in Step 3 ), and fold it into your pocket.
Yes, it is legal to bring this paper into the voting booth with you—your 🛂︎ poll workers may have rules against using a phone in the voting booth.
If you have 🆔︎ government-issued picture-ID, bring it—that is simpler.
If you don't have such id, vote anyway; just be prepared for 🛂︎ poll workers to provide you a provisional ballot—hold them to it—it is your right to vote in this manner.
When you get to the polling place, if presented with several precincts and you don't know your precinct number, ask a friendly poll worker (probably one of your neighbors), or turn around—there is probably a precinct map posted on a wall or table nearby.
When you get into the ballot booth, unfold your 📝︎ marked-up sample ballot, and use it as a guide to cast your ballot quickly and accurately.
Including all those down-ballot races: initiatives, judgeships and Drain Commissioner!

If any 🛂︎ trouble while voting, in the 🇺🇸 USA, call the:

U.S. Department of Justice Voting Rights Hotline 📱︎☎︎ 1-800-253-3931,
ACLU Election Protection Hotline:
◦ in English 📱︎☎︎ 1-866-OUR-VOTE
◦ en Español 📱︎☎︎ 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA
◦ in Arabic 📱︎☎︎ 1-844-418-1682 بالعربية
◦ Asian multilingual 📱︎☎︎ 1-888-API-VOTE
or
Michigan Bureau of Elections 📱︎☎︎ 1-517-373-2540.
— 🇺🇸 ACLU series Know Your Rights Voter Intimidation 📄︎ printable card (.pdf)
( Michigan ACLU Know Your Voting Rights in English 📄︎ [.pdf] en Español 📄︎ [.pdf] in Arabic 📄︎ [.pdf] بالعربية ).

If you see something, say something!

If you expect 🛂︎ police contact, what to do with your electronics (.pdf page 19).

After you vote:

Give yourself a pat on the back for exercising your sacred civic duty. Thank you for helping save the world!
Save your 📝︎ marked-up sample ballot for a day or two, to see if you are a leader or a follower. Then ♻︎ recycle!

Step 5: Contact your elected officials

🚧 Under construction

In our polarized safe-seat gerrymandered culture-war world, I am not so sure contacting our elected officials does as much good as it did before. Maybe at the local level it does. Local meetings are great. As are chance encounters at the hardware store—so have your elevator pitch ready.

Until demographic-shifts end of our culture-war, some contact info: 🇺🇸 USA 50 states + DC Michigan.

Step 6: Futures

If you:

want to increase voter participation,

then support Automatic Voter Registration AVG, and same-day voter registration SDR (aka Election Day voter registration EDR).

If you:

don't like having your General election results predetermined in the Primary,
don't like the candidate choices you have been given,
want candidates to reach out to you,

then support an end to gerrymandering "Geometry versus Gerrymandering." Scientific American. November 2018. (Michigan Radio story) (Michigan organization Voters Not Politicians).

For full effect, display videos above or to right via select, then icons ⛶ fullscreen, ㏄ captions, ▶︎ Play, and × or Skip Ads ⏯︎.

If you:

think it's a waste of time and money to vote in a Primary then a General election, and especially a waste to hold runoff elections,
don't like the candidate choices you have been given,
want to choose from more than just the two frontrunners,
want candidates to reach out to you even in a party-safe gerrymandered district or non-battleground state,
are tired of negative campaigning,
don't want to "waste" your vote, or are afraid of the "spoiler effect" with Ralph Nader in 2000 or Jill Stein in 2016,

then support instant-runoff / preferential / ranked-choice voting RCV as used in Maine and 11 US cities,
replacing the winner-takes-all / single-winner plurality / first-past-the-post electoral system currently existing in most of our States, with all of its flaws described above.

If you:

want to make it easier for your communities to protect your water and soil,

then work to align political boundaries with watershed boundaries. For example, I would live in the neighborhood of Little Carl Creek, county of Lower Grand, and state or nation of Lawrencia.

Navigate to pages that link here

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