h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I could have registered *any* time, Hoo. Do you remember me talking about feeling a personal responsibility for the results of the 2000 election? Well, the fact that I didn't make *sure* everything was in order, in plenty of time, was nobodys fault but my own. So I take full personal responsibility for being individually disenfranchised. On the other hand, since the same thing happened to a *bunch* of us, it's obvious that the Supervisor of Elections also needs to take responsibility for ensuring that massive cock-ups like this don't happen again.

The effect of registering a certain party is that you're only eligible to vote in the primaries of the party with which you registered.

Once you're casting your vote for office you can do whatever the hell you want to. Party affiliation doesn't restrict you in any way.

No apology was necessary and I appreciate it. It's not possible for anyone else to slap me harder than I'm slapping myself. Just have to move myself into productive behavior rather than wallow in comfortable discomfort.

Let me rephrase the question then: how *often* do you have to register to vote?

I mean, I assume you must have registered at some point. Once you have, how long before you have to do so again? I *think* they renew the electoral registers every 12 months in my area, but all I have to do to "register" is NOT send back a form telling them something has changed.

Have you EVER registered?

H.

MoG, it seems to me, that it absolutely wasn't your fault at all! You had a right to assume that once you had done your part, everything would work as it should! Heads should be rolling in the elections bureaucracy... and a bit of rioting in the street probably wouldn't go amiss, but that it would obviously be personally hazardous...

Thank you for your support, Adelaide. However, you are mistaken. The only thing that wasn't my fault was that the registration was 'lost'. The rest of it... well, I built my own karma with that.

I have always hated politics (hate it more now than ever) and was able to avoid concerning myself with it *at all* until after election 2000. So no, I've never voted, never even registered to vote before. I realized that had I voted then I might have made a difference, as I had a preference for Gore, though no strong conviction either way. Then Bush started his war-mongering and other manipulations and it scared me out of my slumber, so I started to pay better attention to what was going on around me. I protested, involved in dialogue, joined MoveOn, etc. but I didn't take care of the bottom line, which was making sure I could vote, which is what really counts. Finally, after years and years of political constipation I went into a last-minute shit-frenzy. Wooooo hooooo. Another case of too little, too late. So now I've got the president I deserve though he's not the one I wanted. The rest of the world has him too. Isn't *that* just peachy?

I see your point, MoG, though if you ask me, your system's crazy! Stories like yours, about the lost registration, and Scandrea's about her friend, make me think that there is "wiggle room" so to speak, and that Bush can't claim the mandate he is claiming! The triumphalism of the voctors is making me !