Foreclosed On? You Can Still Vote

Losing your home through foreclosure does not prevent someone from voting, said Joe Campbell, supervisor of elections for Highlands County.

With the the nation's third-highest foreclosure rate, many Floridians have addresses that do not match their voter registrations. The Highlands County communities of Lake Placid, Sebring and Avon Park have been hit harder by the housing crisis than most Florida cities. Many are left wondering whether they can vote in next Tuesday's elections.

Voting in the general election is possible as long as the person was properly registered prior to the Oct. 4 deadline. Before or after the deadline, or through foreclosure or any reason whatsoever, it does not matter that your home address changed. You can still vote.

There are two ways to ensure your right to vote: Update your address in advance with the Supervisor of Elections; Update your address at an early voting site or polling place on Election Day.

"If you are registered to vote in Highlands County, an address change can be phoned into the elections office", Campbell said. "If a voter has moved from a different county, a written change is required. As long as an individual can be verified through the statewide system, an address change can be processed at an early voting site or polling place on Election Day."

Name changes through marriage or divorce must also be done in writing, Campbell said. They can be processed through the Supervisor of Elections office."

Registered voters must go to the polling place that covers their new address. Those arriving at an old location will be redirected.

If it's close to the 7 p.m. closing time and you do not timely arrive at the new location, you will not be able to vote.

Although a driver's license is the best form of identification to present when voting, any form of picture ID containing a signature will suffice, Campbell said. The address does not have to match the address on file with the elections office. Picture identification is used to match the voter's photo and signature, not the address.

For more information on registration and polling place locations, visit http://www.votehighlands.com or call the Supervisor of Elections at (863) 402-6655.

Source: The Credit Report with Bill Lewis - Highlands Today, an edition of the Tampa Tribune (Media General Group) - http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2010/oct/28/LAINSIDO1-foreclosed-on-you-can-still-vote/ To review Bill Lewis' entire consumer protection series, please visit http://www.williamlewis.us

William E. Lewis Jr., is a credit repair expert with Credit Restoration Consultants and host of "The Credit Report with Bill Lewis" on AM 1470 WWNN, a daily forum for business and financial news, politics, economic trends, and cutting edge issues.