Denied!
Posted by mike on May 6th, 2008
So when you go and get or renew your driver’s license in Indiana, they ask “Would you like to register to vote?” (or at least, there’s a check box on the form).
Well, apparently responding “Yes” or checking the box does NOT mean you are actually registered.
Even though I was registered under my old address - I know this because I had no problems voting previously - it turns out I was not. In mid-to-late 2006, I went to the BMV to have my license changed to reflect our new address. I checked the box, informed the clerk “yes”, etc.
Well, I went to vote this morning and… surprise! My name is not on the list! I’ve been registered to vote since high school, but somehow I’m not signed up for this election?! It figures. The first time an Indiana vote in a Presidential primary has mattered since the late 60’s, and mine is screwed up. So I had to file a near-worthless provisional ballot, which probably won’t matter unless there’s a tie. 
The people at the BMV sometimes act like people aren’t supposed to bother them, so in a way this shouldn’t surprise me. But I can’t help but feel I was denied a basic right in a round-about way. I was told by the folks at the polling place that this isn’t the first time or first election in which they’ve had this problem.
Also… I went to http://www.indianavoters.com/ and checked my registration status. Performing a “Search by Voter Registration” search using just my name and birth date, it returned my proper polling location. It appears I am registered, so why was I not on “the list”?
UPDATE: I just contacted the Clark County Voter Registration office, and was informed that I had been marked “cancelled” for some reason. The lady on the phone was very helpful. She checked and confirmed that I HAD in fact voted in 2004, and reiterated what I had been told with regard to the BMV messing up the registrations. She said they would do some research and mark it as an error and get me reinstated for November.
May 6th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
It turns out, my “cancelled” status may be owed to this:
http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/board-auth.cgi?file=/1954/73758.html
May 7th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Sorry you didnt get to vote!
In response to your updated response. I think the individuals in the elections/voters office need to get off their butts and work on getting their files up to date. What a shame. Hope you are back and voting in November!!!