AIDSVote: Election Information and Activism

Summary: A coalition of over 200 AIDS organizations is supporting a platform of policies for controlling the AIDS epidemic both in the U.S. and globally. It is encouraging voter registration, including absentee registration of people with AIDS when necessary, so that they will not miss voting due to illness.

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More than 200 AIDS and other organizations and 2,700 individuals have endorsed the AIDSVote platform, put together by a nonpartisan group that informs candidates about AIDS issues and encourages individuals to vote. AIDSVote does not endorse candidates for office

Absentee Voter Drive

On August 24 AIDSVote announced a project with four other organizations [POZ magazine, Housing Works, the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA-US), and Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP)] to launch a major absentee voter drive. A new Web site provided by POZ allows people to request an absentee ballot online if they are eligible to vote absentee. (The rules differ by state. In some states, one can vote absentee for any reason or none at all; in states using new voting machines with no paper trail, some voters plan to vote absentee to make sure their vote is counted. But other states only allow absentee voting for specific reasons, such as travel or illness.)

The new voter site also allows people to change their address if necessary, or register to vote online.

"For anyone who thinks that they might not be able to vote due to drug side effects, a medical appointment or hospitalization, limited mobility, fatigue or lack of access to transportation, this technology can help make sure your vote isn't missed," said Charles King, president and CEO of New York City's Housing Works.

Caution: Deadlines may differ, but many states have registration deadlines 30 days before the November 2 election. And deadlines for absentee voting can vary greatly by state. If you need to register, change your address, or request an absentee ballot, it is better to check now than to risk waiting until it is too late.

For more information see http://www.aidsvote.org The voter registration/absentee site is http://electionimpact.votenet.com/poz/

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