And now that I'm on a Roll (said the hotdog pook): Come all ye mobile mudcatters an' listen to me song. When you move your residence to a different state, OR to a different town or county WITHIN your state, make it a high priority to check quickly on what you need to do, and WHEN, to TRANSFER YOUR VOTER REGISTRATON THERE.

This varies plenty from state to state -- in my CT if it's even an intrastate move to a different Town you must (technically) re-register as a brand-new voter there -- but the common denominator in *most* places is, you have to DO something, by a pre-election DEADLINE. And if you COULD HAVE done it, given your relocation date, but DIDN'T: Tough! You can't vote! (Yeahyeahyeah, you know your rights, what about the Constitution, you can't be disfranchised by us election bureaucrats, etc. & so forth. Guess what? Yes you can.)

If I had a dollar for every non-voter who's roared at me over the phone in the last 27 years because s/he missed the deadline (which here has changed from 30 days before election to 21 to 14 and it makes no difference) & it's all my fault since h/she only moved in 3 years ago & I never came over to his house with the form & by God she's going to vote (& guess wot? he ain't) --- well, you see the point.

No, "provisional ballots" under the new federal voting law don't change this. They are not the same thing as abolishing deadlines, or requiring election-day registration (which some states do have -- but even *they* have pre-election "books closed" periods, to produce the polling-place lists).

OK, so it's a gummint drone's Rant. (Gummint rat's Drone?:)/ But just remember to register promptly, or check out the local rules anyway, when you move, OK? It's not "automatic". **Nothing** is "automatic"; think about it. / We don't have spy satellites following you around y'know. / Well. Not that we can talk about...mmWA-ha-haaaa...