Election day is right around the corner and that means the library phones are about to start ringing off the hooks!

Voter Registration

We have always had voter registration forms at our libraries, but have you ever considered that to some, we are a voter registration table? By state law, we are now required to mail the voter registration forms if we are asked to. But we don’t have to wait to be asked. What is someone really saying when they ask, “Do you have voter registration forms?” They aren’t just looking for a form, they want to register.

The registration process can be challenging. Many citizens are not literate or have trouble with the form’s small print. Some are not near a post office to mail the form during open hours. By offering a little assistance with this form and offering to mail it for them, we make the library a helpful experience, rather than just a bulletin board with government forms. Maybe equally as important, many people who visit the library to register to vote are not regular library users. This could be their first and only impression of the library. We can win new library members by showing them exceptional service in this unique situation.

Deadline

The last day to register in-person (at Election office): OCTOBER 6, 2008
Last day to postmark voter registration application: OCTOBER 6, 2008

Links

Voter Registration (nashville.gov)

Tennessee ID Requirements for first-time voters registering by mail.

Vote411.org (League of Women Voters)
Features a Polling Place Locator, facts about voter registration and an absentee ballot form.

The Provisional Ballot in Tennessee (.pdf)
If a voter has registered or has not received a Voter Registration card, they can still cast a provisional ballot. Be sure they are familiar with items they can bring to the polls, including Tennessee Driver License, Residential lease agreement, Utility bill,Mortgage statement, Income tax return, Credit card bill, Bank Statement, Preprinted check or bank deposit slip, Vehicle registration.

Early Voting
All Early voting sites will be open Wednesday, October 15 through Thursday, October 30. Hermitage, Edmondson Pike, Bordeaux, Green Hills, Madison, and Bellevue Library (community center) are among the thirteen Early Voting sites. Any voter registered in Davidson County can go to any of these locations during the early voting period.

Early Voting Locations & Schedule Printable PDF