If you voted in your state primary, then moved to another state that still has time to register for its primary, is it legal to vote in the new state as well?
Asked by
Judi (
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May 20th, 2016
from iPhone
My son is moving today from Washington to California
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15 Answers
Probably not legal. But probably wouldn’t get caught.
@Judi Currently we have many who vote in more than one state not because they moved. And quite a few vote in more than 2 states. Not legal of course.
Is it illegal in the primaries? Of course it is in the general where you would be voting twice for one candidate.
But in the primary you are voting for delegates to the convention. Maybe I could help choose delegates in two states.
I could have voted March 15 in Illinois and moved to Indiana for the May 3 primary (Indiana requires 30 days residency).
I’m not saying it’s legal, I don’t know. But the timing works.
If your son votes in WA while he’s still a resident (it’s an 18-day voting cycle, which I believe is still open), and votes in CA’s June primary after his move – no, not illegal, or even unethical. It’s one vote per election, and your son will happen to have been a valid resident of two states during two separate elections.
He’d better hurry, though. The deadline for registering to vote in June’s CA primary is this Monday, 05/23/16.
I’m sure that @Love_my_doggie has the correct response … if everything aligns in the proper way. It’s just unlikely to meet the requirements to register and vote (only in a primary election for that state) in one jurisdiction, then move to another state and register and be in time for that state’s primary. It would be a violation if he had not established residency – according to the new state – while registering to vote there, but if everything were done according to the rules, it should be no problem at all.
Obviously, this kind of opportunity (if you want to think of it that way) could only work for primary elections, and only for states that have primaries on different dates, and spaced far enough apart to permit the move-register-vote sequence after the vote in the first state. It can’t work for a general election, because a voter can only be registered in one location for one vote. (Attempting to vote absentee from one state after having moved to another state to vote in person would be a clear case of voter fraud.)
If he really wants to do this, and if he still has doubts, he can clear them up with a call to the Secretary of the State’s office, or probably even a local voter registrar at City Hall in his new location.
He’s already voted in Washington and gets his new keys on Monday. As much as I want him to vote, he probably won’t have time to register on Monday.
I would think it’s against the law. Just a guess.
I don’t think he’s going to go register tomorrow so he can vote again. It would be nice to have a definitive answer though. It’s really NOT the same election, it’s a different election because it’s a different states primary.
I wish we would have all the primaries on the same day although I can see how having tbsp spread out gives candidates time to concentrate in different states to get known. If they were all held the same day the most well known would probably always win.
@Judi You have something there. IMHO all primaries should be held on the same day! AND no one can campaign for office longer than 6 months before an election! AND it should be the people who elect! Not how much money they can get from political action committees! How long has it been here since “we, the people” have even had a say in government? When politicians prove to be liars, toss them out. Do you know when this campaigning began? The day after the general election 2012!
@judi “It’s really NOT the same election, it’s a different election because it’s a different states primary.”
You hit the nail on the head. Each primary is a separate and distinct election, each with its own candidate registration, fundraising, and reporting requirements. This is the very reason why most of us can vote in both a primary and general election; they’re not the same.
I have a friend who happens to be in training to be a poll worker in the county he’s moving to right now. She posted it on Facebook and I told her to ask the trainer. He told her to tell him to go for it. Then again, he said Friday was the last day to register for the primary and it’s Monday, so I’m not sure I trust his judgment.
It may not be illegal but unethical to vote twice for the same election. That’s my opinion though.
@imrainmaker I can see it as two different elections (choosing a state’s delegates to the convention) or one election (deciding the party’s nominee for November).
@Judi I selfishly hope your son has time to register, so we can hear what the answer is.
I can’t find the definition of “California resident” for voting. Google brings up lots of links regarding income tax and in-state college tuition.
But even then, registering is not voting. Maybe he can register now but not vote until November.
@imrainmaker Different state primaries aren’t the same election. Although primaries are part of a single, and very long-term, process, each is unique and apart from other elections.
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