Hmm...registration scam or just timing?

[Atman]

My son got a job in Boston a couple of months ago. Shortly after he left he requested an absentee ballot from the state of Connecticut, as technically he was still living here, license was here, car registered here.

A couple weeks ago he went to some big music festival in upstate New York. He said someone was going around registering voters. He said he didn't live in NY, but they told him it didn't matter, they just needed his name and address and he'd be registered in that state...and he gave them his new address in Boston, even though his license said CT.

Well, he got the absentee ballot mailed here to our CT address, but at about the same time he got a letter at his MA address saying he was registered. I haven't seen it, so I can't verify how authentic it looks, but something seems fishy.

I advised him to mail in the CT ballot anyway, since it matches his ID, and then go vote in MA on election day. My theory is, if he got scammed at this rock festival, he won't be on the MA voter rolls anyway, so at least he'll have voted in CT. But if it's legit, and CT verifies his new address, that vote won't count, but at least he knows he voted in MA.

Any thoughts? What would you have advised him?

[Robb]

1. To call the office of his Secretary of State.

[LTR]

2. Pick one state and vote there

Voting more than once is illegal.

If he resides in two states, it is up to him which one he prefers voting in. But if he gets caught double-dipping, that's a hefty fine and jail.

[The Magistrate]

3. You Have Advised Him To Commit a Crime, Sir

He should check to see of he is actually registered in Massachusetts. If he is, he should either vote there or send in the Connecticut absentee ballot. If does both, he commits a crime, and further, a crime that is pretty easily traced to him. If he is not registered in Massachusetts, he should use the absentee ballot he already has, if it is too late to register in Massachusetts.

[Atman]

4. Well, still have time to re-advise!

He was just home today, hasn't even returned to Boston yet. Easy enough to tell him to do one or the other.

The question remains; does it make sense that someone at a concert in upstate NY was able to register a kid living in MA who only had a CT ID? I keep hearing of all the scam the GOP is pulling, throwing away registrations. He was very concerned his vote wouldn't count, and he can't stand Romney.

[The Magistrate]

6. As To the Concert Registration, Sir, i have No Idea

It does sound a little odd to me, as well, though. But as others here have said, it should be possible for him to find out from the Massachusetts secretary of State's office if he actually is registered there.

[Trajan]

5. One person ... one vote ....

Any recommendation to vote twice is unbecoming a good citizen ....

Verify voter status quickly so he can know where to vote ....

[Atman]

8. I wasn't trying to get him to do anything wrong

As I said, I was assuming he had been scammed, and thought his CT vote would be counted, and he'd be turned away in Boston. But you're right; I wasn't really thinking about the actual act of voting, just the vote itself. It was bad advice and I'll make sure he calls someone and finds out where he is really registered. Thanks.

[JDPriestly]

7. He can only vote once in one place. He can't vote absentee in one state and at the polls in another

Call the Secretary of State's office.

Residence requirements vary from state to state from what I can tell.