I was getting utilities and mail transferred the other day. House is mostly packed for move. High adrenaline time.
I stopped by the post office last week to fill out change of address form - I'm a pro have done this many times. They advertised that it could be easily done online at usps.com. Excellent. Easy. I thought.
The other day I went to usps.com. The change of address form was easy to fill out, but then they vaulted me to voter registration change of address. As many times as I've moved in the past 17 years (8? 9?) I've never had to re-register to vote. I registered at 18. I'm 41. It's always been cool. But now I have to sign on for a form to officiate my change of address to maintain my voter registry (!!??!! New laws rear their ugly head).
I get vaulted to this page that requires me to choose one of twenty corporate owned national stores for coupons in order to get access to my voter form so I can download and send it in to maintain my ability to vote. Target. Restoration Hardware. I click on one I have never heard of (Horchow?) and nothing happens. I try to select the button at the top that says select one but it is grayed and unclickable - the only one available to my pointer says "Select All Deals at once!"
Um, really? In order to maintain my right to vote I have to subject myself to an onslaught of e-mails from various corporations? No freaking way. Apparently so.
I finally get my vote form by e-mail and spend twenty minutes unsubscribing to a million undesired sites that have just obtained access to me so I can vote. What the hell is this country coming to.
When I got the e-mail to access the form to send in with a stamp so I can vote it gave me limited two week access with a password. I downloaded it, printed it off, and mailed it in. November is looming.
My partner tells me I am lucky. When he moved he found out at the voting site he had to fill out a new form. "It took forever. Luckily it wasn't crowded, or it would have been a big problem. They are really trying to make it harder and harder for us to vote."
I'm a professional with constant access to a computer and the internet. It was still frustrating and confusing. I cannot imagine the voices we are squelching with our new laws. I think this is only the tip of the iceberg. It makes me so angry.
5 comments:
I've always had to change my voter registration when I moved (and I first registered in 1978). I've always moved to at least another city ward or representation area (and sometimes way further).
Did you always go to the same voting place to vote? Otherwise, how would you be on the rolls?
Interesting. I've always moved in the same city but did have different places to vote. In the past I have just called and they told me where to go. I would get a new card when I showed up to vote with my new address on it, or they mailed it to me sometimes. Makes sense what you say but still. Target? Home Depot? That part was too much for me. I already get plenty of junk mail. I guess in the past I received it by snail mail this is new way.
The older I get the more I think everything is a conspiracy ha ha.
I've always had to change my voting location when I moved as well, but never had to subscribe to unwanted emails to do it. It would have annoyed me as well.
They are really creating some strict Voter ID laws here in AR to restrict voting so I'm paranoid. And yes, not having an opt out option made me want to scream at the computer.
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