All across America, people are voting early and you can too. Polls are expecting a record turnout, and every vote counts. You can cast your vote early in many states, or get an absentee ballot like I did, being registered in Florida but now residing in Cleveland. Contact your county or state’s office and request information. CNN is reporting that more Democrats than Republicans are voting early to avoid the rush. In most states, all you need is a driver’s license or state ID. But you need to contact your officials to find out for sure, as time is running out.

These are the states where you can vote early, and their websites.

California
www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections.htm

Colorado
www.elections.colorado.gov/Default.aspx

Florida
http://election.dos.state.fl.us/

Georgia
http://sos.georgia.gov/

Illinois
www.elections.il.gov/

Indiana
http://www.in.gov/

Iowa
www.sos.state.ia.us/index.htm

Maine
www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl

Michigan
www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633—,00.htm

Minnesota
www.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp?page=4

Missouri
www.sos.mo.gov/elections/s_default.asp?id=voting

Montana
http://sos.mt.gov/

Nevada
http://sos.state.nv.us/

New Hampshire
http://www.sos.nh.gov/

New Jersey
www.njelections.org

New Mexico
http://www.sos.state.nm.us/

New York
http://www.elections.state.ny.us/

North Carolina
http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/

Ohio
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/

Pennsylvania
http://www.dos.state.pa.us/

Texas: Offical Site

Virgina:
www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Index.html

Washington
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/

Wisconsin
http://elections.state.wi.us/

Are you voting early?  Tell us here.

Images courtesy of abcnews.com.
 
(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One.  TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)

People are talking about whether or not ex-cons should be allowed to vote. I know in some states they can (click here to see where they can and can’t), but as far as I’m concerned once you committed a crime against your fellow man, you have opted out of the system. You’ve decided to live your life beyond the boundaries of civilized behavior. That’s why your an “outlaw,” right — you lived by your own rules. So it doesn’t make sense to me that once you have made that choice, you decide on voting day that you want to act right and do the right thing. No sir.

It’s true, we all make mistakes. But mistakes must come with consequences as to deter you from making more mistakes. If you have a committed a crime, served your time but cannot vote, well that’s just your little red Wagon, son. You made that bag, now you live in it. We can’t change the rules because you think you’ve changed. That doesn’t make sense. You should have been civic-minded BEFORE you committed your crime —- maybe you would have rethought that whole course of action.

I know it’s easy to feel sorry for reformed criminals who have served their time and now want a clean slate. But it’s even easier to feel sorry for the victims of these crimes–the rest of us who have often had our lives changed forever. It just seems to me that it’s not fair that criminals should be able to get their lives back in total. What do you think?

Should ex-cons be able to vote?  Tell us here.

Images courtesy of wcg.org.
 
(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One.  TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)