Register to vote! (or, the saga of my voter registration experiences)

Last year I didn't vote in the gubernatorial elections. I was a college senior, studying off-campus at the Chicago Arts Program, and I somehow got confused about the absentee deadline for California voters. I had no way of making it back to campus in Wisconsin, where I was already registered, and it was too late to register in Illinois, which, unlike Wisconsin, does not have same-day voter registration. I was filled with sudden remorse, which fueled the writing of one eye-opening 'zine article published in my arts program's weekly, internally-xeroxed and distributed publication.

This year, however, I wasn't going to let another such silly mistake occur (after all, the Gubernator was reelected in my home state after I Didn't Vote). Still characteristically a little unorganized when it comes to anything related to filling out forms, I'd waited until this morning to make my trip downtown to the Board of Elections office to register to vote in Chicago.

My visit, however, was a surprisingly pleasant and hassle-free experience. There were no crowds, no waiting, and the ladies behind the counter were friendly, calm and happy to answer any questions. All I had to do was fill out one tiny little form and show them my California ID, plus a piece of mail with my new address on it. I was worried that a bank statement might not be enough proof of residence or that my CA ID might throw them off, but it was no big deal. The lady who registered me even offered to look up the nearest polling location for me.

So, you probably already know all this stuff, and took care of it all long ago. But if you're as silly a I am, you might need a reminder that:

Tomorrow is the last day to register to vote in the presidential primaries.

So yeah, do it. For more information, read Jennifer Lizak's article in the Dec. 6 issue of UR Chicago or try the Illinois Board of Elections website. -Cory