‘Get out the vote’ is campaign tool
Published 12:00 am Saturday, August 28, 2004
DEMOPOLIS -Prospective voters will get another opportunity to register Saturday on Pettus Street.
Terry Charleston, sister-in-law to District 2 candidate Freddie Charleston, said a voter registration drive has been organized for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hope Hill Center on Pettus Street.
The voter registration drive is attempt to sign up new voters, and get a little campaigning done as well.
“It’s a get-out-the-vote drive,” Charleston said. “We’ll also help people find out what district they are in.”
Charleston’s drive is just one example of the implementation of the new “motor voter” laws nationwide that have opened up registration by making the process more accessible to the public. In addition to traditional government offices, residents can register to vote by mail and can even download a voter registration application from the website of Alabama Secretary of State Nancy Worley.
“Voting registration changes two years ago allows anyone to register someone else,” said City Clerk Vickie Taylor.
To register, the applicant must provide identification that proves residency. An application must be signed by the applicant, but does not require a witness unless the signature is made with a “mark.”
To register to vote in the State of Alabama, an individual must meet the following qualifications:
Be a United StatesCitizen
Reside in Alabama
Be at least 18 years old
Have not been convicted of a felony (or have rights restored)
Have not been legally declared “mentally incompetent” by a court, according to Worley’s office.
Taylor, city clerk for 25 years and regional president of the state’s municipal clerks organization, said people who register to vote by Sept. 3 are eligible to vote in the city’s run-off election Sept. 14.
Sept. 3 is also the deadline to record changes in status for currently registered voters – such as moving from one district to another.