Registering Members To Vote

Coast-to-coast efforts are under way at locals and Joint Councils to register voters and increase participation in this year’s election. It’s especially important for Teamsters to be voters this fall. Opponents of labor are still mounting an all-out war on workers. The high-profile attacks in Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin were just the beginning.

California Teamsters from Local 856 in San Bruno were out recently registering many of their union brothers and sisters. They set up tents and tables in the parking lot outside Delta Dental, where Local 856 members work. Elsewhere in California, locals 986, 439, 630, 63, 396 and 853 have been charging ahead with voter registration by having their business agents sign up members at their worksites at a nearly nonstop pace.

“Our state has a lot on the line and our members know that,” said Randy Cammack, International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 63.

“By going facility to facility, our business agents have registered hundreds of new voters,” said Randy Korgan, Trustee of Local 630.

Washington state Teamsters are reaching out in new ways to members. Joint Council 28 in Seattle is working with an immigrant rights group to test messages and outreach to their members who haven’t registered to vote or have changed their addresses.

“We are also trying out a phone app provided by the Washington Secretary of State called ‘WA Votes’ to help members register to vote online and update their mailing addresses,” said John Williams, President of Joint Council 28. “Business Agent Abe Taylor of Local 174 walked around warehouses and driver bays with his phone app and resolved hundreds of voter registration issues in just a few days.”

Boots on the Ground

Greg Floyd, President of Local 237 in New York City, is planning a September voter registration drive. With more than 14,000 registered voters, Local 237 takes voting very seriously. “Our local has traditionally had an aggressive voter registration program,” Floyd said. “Our members understand how important it is to vote since many of their department’s budgets are controlled by elected officials.”

In New Jersey, Local 469 is planning for a voter registration drive to coincide with a shop steward meeting. “In addition to making sure our members are registered to vote, we will also have another drive at a local shopping mall,” said Fredrick Potter, International Vice President and President of Local 469.

Voters in Michigan are planning to make a change in their state constitution that supports collective bargaining.

“Last year, Michigan working families lost a great deal when the right to collectively bargain was taken away,” said David Robinson, President of Joint Council 43 in Detroit. “Now we are working with all the trade unions in the state to reverse that decision with a constitutional amendment. Re-establishing collective bargaining rights is one of the most important fights we’ve ever had.”

If you would like to volunteer to help with a voter registration drive in your area, please contact your local union.

Voter Registration Deadlines

Election Day 2012 is on Tuesday, November 6. With all the coverage of the election, it’s unlikely that you’ll forget when that important day is. What you might not know is that, in states across the country, new laws have gone into effect that could potentially prevent you from voting. The conservative crusade for voter identification laws is little more than a way to disenfranchise poor people and minorities. It’s important to know the laws in your state.

Below is a list of registration deadlines for each state, plus the website where you can go for more information.

Alabama
Registration Deadline: October 26
For more information:
www.sos.state.al.us/elections

Alaska
Registration Deadline: October 7
For more information:
www.elections.alaska.gov

Arizona
Registration Deadline: October 8
For more information:
www.azsos.gov/election

Arkansas
Registration Deadline: October 7
For more information:
www.sos.arkansas.gov/elections

California
Registration Deadline: October 22
For more information:
www.sos.ca.gov/elections/

Colorado
Registration Deadline: October 9
For more information:
www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections

Connecticut
Registration Deadline: October 30
For more information:
www.ct.gov/sots

Delaware
Registration Deadline: October 13
For more information:
www.elections.delaware.gov

District of Columbia
Registration Deadline: October 15
For more information:
www.dcboee.us

Florida
Registration Deadline: October 9
For more information:
election.dos.state.fl.us/

Georgia
Registration Deadline: October 8
For more information:
www.sos.ga.gov/elections

Hawaii
Registration Deadline: October 8
For more information:
www.hawaii.gov/elections

Idaho
Registration Deadline: Election Day
For more information:
www.idahovotes.gov

Illinois
Registration Deadline: October 9
For more information:
www.elections.state.il.us

Indiana
Registration Deadline: October 9
For more information:
http://www.in.gov/sos/elections

Iowa
Registration Deadline: Election Day
For more information:
www.sos.iowa.gov

Kansas
Registration Deadline: October 16
For more information:
www.kssos.org/elections/elections.html

Kentucky
Registration Deadline: October 9
For more information:
www.sos.ky.gov/elections

Louisiana
Registration Deadline: October 8
For more information:
www.sos.la.gov/tabid/68/default.aspx

Maine
Registration Deadline: Election Day
For more information:
www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec

Maryland
Registration deadline: October 16
For more information:
www.elections.state.md.us

Massachusetts
Registration Deadline: October 17
For more information:
www.sec.state.ma.us/ele

Michigan
Registration Deadline: October 9
For more information:
www.michigan.gov/sos

Minnesota
Registration Deadline: Election Day
For more information:
www.sos.state.mn.us/index.aspx?page=4

Mississippi
Registration Deadline: October 6
For more information:
www.sos.ms.gov/elections.aspx

Missouri
Registration Deadline: October 10
For more information:
www.sos.mo.gov/elections

Montana
Registration Deadline: Election Day
For more information:
www.sos.mt.gov/elections

Nebraska
Registration Deadline: October 26
For more information:
www.sos.state.ne.us/elec

Nevada
Registration Deadline: October 16
For more information:
www.nvsos.gov/elections

New Hampshire
Registration Deadline: Election Day
For more information:
www.sos.nh.gov/elections.aspx

New Jersey
Registration Deadline: October 16
For more information:
www.nj.gov/state/elections

New Mexico
Registration Deadline: October 9
For more information:
www.sos.state.nm.us

New York
Registration Deadline: October 17
For more information:
www.elections.ny.gov

North Carolina
Registration Deadline: October 12
For more information:
www.ncsbe.gov

North Dakota
Registration Deadline: Election Day
For more information:
www.nd.gov/sos/electvote

Ohio
Registration Deadline: October 9
For more information:
www.sos.state.oh.us/elections.aspx

Oklahoma
Registration Deadline: October 12
For more information:
www.ok.gov/elections

Oregon
Registration Deadline: October 16
For more information:
www.oregonvotes.org

Pennsylvania
Registration Deadline: October 9
For more information:
www.dos.state.pa.us/bcel

Rhode Island
Registration Deadline: October 6
For more information:
www.elections.state.ri.us

South Carolina
Registration Deadline: October 6
For more information:
www.scvotes.org

South Dakota
Registration Deadline: October 22
For more information:
www.sdsos.gov/elections

Tennessee
Registration Deadline: October 9
For more information:
www.tn.gov/sos/election

Texas
Registration Deadline: October 9
For more information:
www.sos.state.tx.us/elections

Utah
Registration Deadline: October 22
For more information:
www.elections.utah.gov

Vermont
Registration Deadline: October 31
For more information:
www.vermont-elections.org

Virginia
Registration Deadline: October 15
For more information:
www.sbe.virginia.gov

Washington
Registration Deadline: October 29
For more information:
www.sos.wa.gov/elections

West Virginia
Registration Deadline: October 24
For more information:
www.sos.wv.gov/elections

Wisconsin
Registration Deadline: Election Day
For more information:
gab.wi.gov/elections-voting

Wyoming
Registration Deadline: October 22
For more information:
soswy.state.wy.us/elections/elections.aspx