Last-minute voting tips for the harried

There are three things every voter should do before they head to the polls, election experts agree: Check to make sure you’re registered to vote at your current address, find out where your polling place is and find out what ID you’ll need when you go to cast your ballot.

You’ll not only save yourself time, you’ll save yourself some aggravation. And there’s sure to be some of that on Election Day, with a record turnout predicted nationwide.

Every state has different requirements for the kind of identification voters must have in hand at the polls. The easiest way to find what you’ll need is to start with two non-partisan Web sites: canivote.org, run by the National Association of Secretaries of State, which represents the chief election officials from around the country; and Vote411.org, sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

You can check to make sure you’re registered at both sites, which also have information on polling places as well as voter ID requirements by state. Most states also have election hotlines (see chart with this story) for voters to call if they do not have Internet access.

You’ll also find additional information about provisional ballots, voter IDs and first-time voters below.

First things first
But making sure you’re registered and identifying your polling place are both crucial first steps to making the process go more smoothly Tuesday.

“Research has shown from the past two election cycles that the No. 1 question voters have on Election Day is, ‘Am I registered to vote,’ and the second-most frequent question is, ‘Where do I go to vote?’ ” said Kay Stimson, director of communications and special projects for the National Association of Secretaries of State. “So, those are two very powerful things voters can find out in advance.”

Sean Greene, project manager for research for the Pew Center on the States’ electionline.org, agrees.

“Check with a phone call, in person or online that you’re actually registered to vote,” he said. “That’s the most important thing. And when you’re doing that, check what sort of ID you need to bring, and where you’re supposed to vote. Knowing all of that ahead of time, obviously, is the best way.”

Canivote.org “is the only Web portal that’s set up by election officials linking directly to election officials that’s out there,” said Stimson. “It allows people to check their registration, find their polling place, learn about ID requirements and perhaps most importantly, look up a contact for a local election office.”

LWV help by phone
The League of Women Voters, with 850 chapters around the country, also will have volunteers staffing the phones in the next few days to answer voter questions about Election Day. Check your local phone book for the group’s number.

“Certainly on the day before the election and the day of the election, callers will find a real person answering the telephone,” said Mary Wilson, national president of the League of Women Voters.

“If you call and leave a message, our local leagues are great at getting back to people with the information they need.”

Slide show   Early voting Long lines and long waits to cast ballots in advance. more photos

Two other tips to making voter faster and more pleasant: Study and mark a sample ballot ahead of time. (If your city, county or state doesn’t send you one, you may be able to find one online at your state’s election site.) And, bring a book, book on tape, or digital music player with you to help pass the time as you wait in line to vote, said Wilson.

“This is absolutely wonderful that we’ll have this huge turnout,” she said. “Let’s take advantage of it, let’s enjoy it, and be as patient as we possibly can with the process because election officials are doing the very best that they can to accommodate an unusually large turnout.”

IDs required in half of states
Regarding IDs, half of the states in the country now require voters to show some form of identification, whether photo or non-photo, according to electionline.org. So, it might be best to play it safe rather than sorry and come prepared.

Jennie Bowser, of the National Conference of State Legislatures, said if you don’t have Internet access, “and you just don’t know how to go about tracking down what the specific requirements in your state are, your best bet is to take with you to the polls a government-issued photo ID.”

It can be “a driver’s license, a state ID card, a passport, a military ID — something like that issued by the state or federal government,” she said. “You may get there and find you don’t need it. But if you’ve got it and you do need it, you won’t end up voting a provisional ballot.”

MORE FROM MAKING YOUR VOTE COUNT

Making Your Vote Count Section Front

Obama elected 44th president Voters weather hours of delays Could voting meltdown history repeat itself? Dirty tricks increase as Election Day nears 10 choke points for Election Day Maddow: Voter, beware of liars Last-minute voting tips for the harried Fact vs. myth on your right to vote State early voting rules Voter registration smashes records Making Your Vote Count Section Front   Add Making Your Vote Count headlines to your news reader: