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2008 Presidential Election - Archived
This page has been archived and will not be updated.
Voting Process
Step 1: Register to Vote
In a number of states you must register to vote as far as 30 days in advance of the election. Others will allow you to register at the polling place on the day of the election. You may register all the way up to and on election day itself in Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming . Additionally, in North Dakota you do not need to register at all to vote. All other states have varying deadlines for registration in advance of an election, so please contact your state election office to find out what your state's deadline is, see below and GET REGISTERED TO VOTE IN TIME!
A number of states will accept the National Voter Registration form. You may complete this form online, print it and mail it to the appropriate office via Congress.org: Register to Vote.
Keep in mind that you must be registered with the municipality in which you live. To learn more about your state's voter registration guidelines, visit Project Vote Smart: Voter Registration and select your state.
Step 2: Educate Yourself on the Candidates
Do not simply rely on the campaign commercials splashed across your television screen; read up on the candidates' stances on the issues, check out their voting records, get to know them inside and out. We have offered a number of resources below to help you get to know the candidates.
Step 3: Cast Your Vote
- Absentee Voting
As an individual with a disability, you may qualify to vote via the mail with an Absentee Ballot. You will want to request an Absentee Ballot at least several weeks before the election to ensure that you are able to return it by November 4th. To learn more about your state's absentee ballot guidelines, visit Project Vote Smart: Voter Registration and select your state.
- Polling Place Assistance
If you plan to vote at the polls on election day, assistance is available. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) requires that all polling places have at least one accessible voting machine to enable people to vote privately and independently. You may also bring an idividual to assist you, provided they are not an officer or agent of your employer or union. Assistance is also available at your polling place.
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The Nominees
The nominees for this year’s Presidential election are presumptively set. Barring an extraordinary turn of events, Barack Obama will represent the Democratic Party, and John McCain will represent the Republican Party. It is up to you to decide who is the better candidate to lead our country into the future.
Be an educated voter! Visit each campaign's website to learn more about each candidate's policy positions on the issues that are most important to you.
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Important Election 2008 Events
- National Forum on Disability Issues Archived Webcast featuring presidential nominee John McCain and Senator Tom Harkin, on behalf of presidential nomiee Barack Obama.
- Debates
- September 26, 2008: Presidential debate with domestic policy focus, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
- October 2, 2008: Vice Presidential debate, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
- October 7, 2008: Presidential debate in a town hall format, Belmont University, Nashville, TN
- October 15, 2008: Presidential debate with foreign policy focus, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
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The Issues
The following websites give a side-by-side comparison of the candidates on a range of important issues.
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) 2008 Presidential Election Action Center
www.aapd-dc.org/News/election/peac2008.php
See how the candidates compare on disability-related issues.
Council on Foreign Relations: Issue Tracker
www.cfr.org/campaign2008/trackers.html
Learn how the candidates stand on such Foreign Relations issues as relations and polcies on North Korea, Cuba, India, Iran, Irag, etc., Energy Policy, Domestic Intelligence, Defense Policy, Trade, and much more.
health08.org
www.health08.org/sidebyside.cfm
See a more in depth side by side comparison of the candidate’s positions on health care.
New York Times Election Guide: The Issues
politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/issues/index.html
See a side by side comparison on McCain’s and Obama’s positions on abortion, climate change, economy/taxes, health care, housing, immigration, and Iran/Iraq.
Ohio Legal Rights Service: 2008 Presidential Candidate Positions on Disability-related Issues
http://www.olrs.ohio.gov/prescompare.htm
This side-by-side comparison of the candidates' positions on disability-related issues is based on information found on the candidates' campaign websites as well as their Senatorial Web sites.
taxpolicycenter.org
www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxtopics/election_issues_matrix.cfm
See a more in depth side by side comparison on how the candidates’ stand on tax-related issues.
Web MD's Health Matters '08
www.webmd.com/election2008
Learn how the candidates stand on important health issues.
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General Election Resources
Visit CNN's Election Center 2008 to learn key election dates and how the candidates stand on the issues
Visit C-Span's Campaign Network to view recent campaign ads and candidate interviews
Visit Fox News You Decide 2008 to read the latest candidate news
Visit Project Vote Smart to view the candidates' voting record and issue positions
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[Updated January 31, 2010]
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