Did You Miss the Deadline for Voter Registration? No Problem.

If you missed the deadline to mail in your voter registration, it's ok. You can still cast your vote for Senator Obama (or someone else, if you insist) on February 5. You'll just have to put a little extra effort into it, that's all. You can register in person at your local County Clerk's office until January 29.

If you're already registered, you will need to re-register under the following circumstances:

• You've moved since your previous registration
• Your name has changed since your previous registration
• You are registered as anything besides a Democrat or unaffiliated, and wish to vote in the Democratic primary
• You are registered as anything besides a Republican or unaffiliated, and wish to vote in the Republican primary (note that unaffiliated voters will have to change to Republican in order to vote in the Republican primary, which can be done at the polling location)
  

If you are unsure of your information, some County Clerk's offices allow you to check online, as Salt Lake County does. Otherwise, you'll need to contact the County Clerk's office directly. You can get the web sites and the contact information on the State Elections web site.

When you register late, you will be more likely to need proof of residency and a photo ID in order to vote on election day. Check with your County Clerk's office for that information.

Early voting varies, depending on the County Clerk. Salt Lake County's early voting begins January 22, and I believe most others begin the same day. If you are registering late, you will not be eligible for early voting, so you'll need to cast your ballot on February 5. According to the sample ballot I looked at today, the names on the Democratic Ballot are:

• Joe Biden
• Hillary Clinton
  
• Christopher J. Dodd
  
• John Edwards
  
• Mike Gravel
  
• Dennis Kucinich
  
• Frank Lynch
  
• Barack Obama
  
• Bill Richardson
  

The Republican ticket has these names:

• Rudy Giuliani
  
• Mike Huckabee
  
• Duncan Hunter
  
• Alan Keyes
  
• John McCain
  
• Ron Paul
  
• Mitt Romney
  
• Tom Tancredo
  
• Fred Thompson
  

If you're eligible for early voting, please consider doing so, and volunteer to help with the Obama campaign on February 5.