Facing foreclosure and voting

Facing foreclosure and voting

Facing foreclosure and voting

Despite the federal government's efforts to curb the enduring foreclosure crisis, many homeowners are still facing the problem of losing their homes to foreclosure. And with the upcoming midterm election, there are 12 states which are worried about their voters as the foreclosure angle complicates the qualification of these distressed homeowners.

In the United States, a resident will need to register in the county they are living in, before the actual election. The problem is most of them are unsure where they would be living in registration day. Some are renting houses or apartments while others are crashing with friends or family.

To address this complication, state governments, such as Ohio, are announcing there will be no cancellation of voter registrations if the individual is in the midst of foreclosure. Even if there is a foreclosure action filed, it should not affect that person's right to vote until final judgment is rendered.

Although the instruction to the county boards of election varies from state to state, it still has one point: if your home is on the brink of becoming a foreclosed property, your right to vote should not be affected and you should be prepared to practice this right.

According to the Fair Elections Legal Network, the biggest concern with the upcoming election is the voter turnout since many homeowners are confused about their rights. To clarify, they still can vote.

These issues surrounding the rights of the voters are not new since they have been addressed during the 2008 Presidential Election. During that election, voters were fearful they would be turned away when they show up at the polls to cast their votes.

If you would look at the figures from Morgan Stanley's report, there are about 3 million houses in some stage of foreclosure. Although each state has its own set of election rules, the United States Election Assistance Commission released its general guidelines. For instance, if you moved to another state of county because of foreclosure, make sure you re-register. But if you stayed at the same county, you only need to update your address.

Also, voters whose foreclosure is yet to be concluded, there is no need to re-register. You should only re-register if the foreclosure case is over and all appeals have been lost. In some states, you can use the same address on your voter registration list if you have yet to establish a new address.

In other words, do your homework and find out the state or county rules regarding the distressed homeowners' right to vote.

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