Voter Registration Question

Discussion in 'Politics & Current Events' started by quentinc, Aug 6, 2007.

  1. quentinc

    quentinc New Member

    Jan 3, 2005
    Annapolis, MD
    I recently turned 18, and registered to vote in Texas when I renewed my driver's license. I'll be moving to Maryland for college in a few weeks, and would like to register there as well. The Maryland Board of Elections website eventually brought me here, to a National Voter Registration Act deal that gives you the ability to vote in any state (with a few exceptions, Maryland not being one). Reading the website, I'm confused about whether or not I need to go through this application, or if what I did in Texas is good enough (it seems like I couldn't use my Texas Voter Registration card though in Maryland). Any help would be appreciated, as the FAQ on the website wasn't helpful at all.
     
  2. quentinc

    quentinc New Member

    Jan 3, 2005
    Annapolis, MD
    And I don't know why I didn't post this in the Elections sub-forum. Feel free to move it there if you want.
     
  3. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    "As well"? Just to be clear, you can only be registered in one locality. So it's either Texas or Maryland.
    I believe that's just a form that's valid in all states - but that doesn't mean you send it in once and you're registered wherever you go. Whenever you move you have to register again at your new address.
    Here's the thing: why do you want to change your voter registration at all? Do you need to become a resident of Maryland for college purposes? If not then you can continue to vote in Texas by absentee. But if your intention is to move your legal residence to Maryland then you have to register there and give up your registration in Texas. Easiest way to do that is just to go to the post office in Maryland and fill out the form right there.
     
  4. Smurfquake

    Smurfquake Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 8, 2000
    San Carlos, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah, word. Are you moving permanently to MD or will you be returning to TX?

    I spent four years in college in Connecticut but kept my voter registration in California, using my parents address as my permanent address. Voted absentee using the California ballots. After graduation, moved back to California, got a job in a different part of the state, moved there and then re-registered in my new county.
     
  5. quentinc

    quentinc New Member

    Jan 3, 2005
    Annapolis, MD
    OK, I had been told that you could hold a registration in multiple states, you just couldn't vote more than once in a particular election.

    The Board of Elections website specifically mentioned this form as a way to register for people who aren't Maryland residents.

    I guess I want to be able to have a choice of where to vote based on the competitiveness and relevance of the election in that particular state (since in the case of Texas, it's a foregone conclusion in the electoral college). I'm not planning to change my residence - I just wanted to see if I could feasibly vote in either state. If I can't, it's not the end of the world.
     
  6. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    Uh, no. You can only be registered in one place (at a time, anyway). That's where you vote (and that's where you serve on jury duty).

    And being registered at more than one address is a good way to get your vote challenged and invalidated.
    Here's the quote from their website:

    So if you were in Maryland, weren't a Maryland resident, didn't want to become a Maryland resident, still wanted to vote in Texas, but weren't registered to vote in Texas, then you could use that form.

    It does not work that way. One residence. One vote. If you want to keep your legal residence in Texas then you can't vote anywhere else except that residence.
     
  7. quentinc

    quentinc New Member

    Jan 3, 2005
    Annapolis, MD
    OK, thanks for clearing that up. I guess I was misinformed. Go Red States!
     
  8. Barbara

    Barbara BigSoccer Supporter

    Apr 29, 2000
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Does MD have motor voter? When you get your drivers license and register your car, you should be able to register to vote right there at the DMV.
     
  9. quentinc

    quentinc New Member

    Jan 3, 2005
    Annapolis, MD
    I did that in Texas. I don't plan on bringing a car to Maryland though, so therefore I wouldn't have a car to register.
     
  10. The Gribbler

    The Gribbler Member

    Jul 14, 1999
    Cedar Hill, Texas
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If you're going to a public U in Maryland it might not be a bad idea to get your residence there. I know when I looked at transferring to Zona State it could have saved me a TON in out-of-state tuition fees.
     
  11. Matt in the Hat

    Matt in the Hat Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 21, 2002
    Brooklyn
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's a pretty foregone conclusion in Maryland as well.
     
  12. striker

    striker Member+

    Aug 4, 1999
    Do most states allow out of state students who live in that state solely for the purpose of going to school register as a resident of that state? Some how I got the impression that the answer is NO. Otherwise, almost all students will qualify for in state tuitions (at a public university).
     
  13. quentinc

    quentinc New Member

    Jan 3, 2005
    Annapolis, MD
    It's private, so I'm paying up the ass regardless.
     
  14. The Gribbler

    The Gribbler Member

    Jul 14, 1999
    Cedar Hill, Texas
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If you qualify you can. It depends on the school (or possibly the state) but if you can claim yourself financially independent from your parents then its not too hard.
     
  15. Samarkand

    Samarkand Member+

    May 28, 2001
    Jeez, think of all the trouble ManHands wouldn't be in if she had read this thread.
     

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