You have to have a code.

There it was, right smack in the middle of WRAL's article on election law changes--chronicles of a change postponed:

As of early January, there was conflicting information on the state board's website. However, the correct information reads:

"Voters who appear on Election Day in the correct county but in the improper precinct may cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted for all contests in which the voter was eligible to participate. This 'out-of-precinct voting' is currently permitted due to a preliminary injunction granted under a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, but this option remains the subject of ongoing litigation in federal court. Please check back at this website for updates.  Click here to locate your assigned precinct polling location."

As with the same-day registration rules, election officials say voters would be better off not needing take advantage of the lingering out-of-precinct voting rules because they could change once the federal courts make a ruling.

Yeah, that's right: same day registration and out-of-precinct voting are still an option this cycle - pending litigation, of course.

To sum up the week's adventures, then: we have rules that are not in effect, though ongoing litigation might change that; we have a "reasonable impediment" rule that may or may not be reasonable, depending on what the "official" version turns out to be (or WHEN it turns out to be official); and we have information that may or may not be communicated properly, like the mobile unit schedule or why you should ask the postal service for a real postmark when you mail in your absentee ballot.

We have a mess! It's getting so a person needs a code just to navigate the turbulent waters of election law.

So let's just go ahead and get the ball rolling on that.

1) Update your voter information when you move. 

Period. Even if the out-of-precinct rule is thrown out by the courts, do you want to be that person? You know who I'm talking about.  I'm talking about the person in front of you at the drive up-ATM who decides to conduct an entire week of banking transactions when all you want to do is withdraw some cash and be on your way.

That's you on election day when you don't update your information beforehand.  There are hundreds of voters waiting in line behind you. You're gumming up the works, man!

All kidding aside, it's your right to vote we're talking about here. Treat it with respect and make others do the same. Keep your information current!

2) Check your voter registration information and make sure it's accurate. 

See above. This one's easy. There are so many ways to do it it's almost fun.

3) If you don't have an ID, get one if you can (but don't worry about it too much if you can't). 

Will reasonable impediment be reasonable?  Will it even be an option in November?   Get an ID and you won't have to worry about it.  

And if you can't get an ID, vote mail-in absentee.  Just don't forget to request a real postmark when you mail in your ballot.

4) Register to vote. Now.  

Don't wait for same-day registration, don't wait for a voter registration drive; get it done. You can find a voter registration form online,  at your local BOE office, and at your local library.  You can also visit the handy voter registration form on our web site.

And while you are at it, don't forget to register any of your like-minded friends. We'll need all the allies we can find if we are going to turn NC around in November.

5) Know the rules and communicate them with others.  

There are a variety of sites where you can find helpful information about voting. The NC State Board of Elections Voter Outreach team has a web site focused on Voter ID.  Democracy NC has a comprehensive, well-organized selection of materials on voting and voting rights, with the added bonus that most are downloadable, which makes them easy to print and share.

*****

That's a start!

Do you have some ideas for the code? Leave them in the comments section if you do. Maybe we can collect enough for a decent acronym!