Protect your vote now, before it's too late

There have been numerous reports about voter registration, ahem, irregularities occurring throughout the country, specifically in some Democratic Party strongholds. (More on those in a minute.)

The good news is that the National Association of Secretaries of State has set up a Website where you can quickly and easily check out your status for the upcoming election. The Website, called Can I Vote, will also let you know where your polling place is as well for all 50 states.

Please note that even if you have registered to vote, double check your status on this Website - there have been numerous reports in a number of states of voter caging and the illegal disqualification of voters by knocking them off voter rolls using blatantly unconstitutional methods, including state Republican Parties attempting to take advantage of home foreclosures by using caging tactics. (Much more on this later this weekend.)

In many states, the deadline to register is usually 30 days prior to the election, which is quickly approaching.

The bottom line is this - protect your vote, and don't simply assume that you're all set to go for the November election, even if you voted in the last election. Make sure and verify it now.

What's more, make sure you bring identification with you to the polls on election day. There are also plenty of reports that Republicans will have people deployed in battleground states around the country to challenge voters to provide identification, thanks to an outrageous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that was based on the bogus problem of voter fraud.

For example, if your name says "John Q. Public" on your voter registration, and your driver's license reads "Jonathan Q. Public," your vote could be challenged. In this case, you could cast a provisional ballot, but in most cases these end up not being counted.

It's ridiculous that in the 21st century in the United States, voters should have to bring with them proof of identification and even a back-up just in case, but that's what we need to do in order to overcome the voter suppression tactics currently in play. In any case, let's all be prepared - not only will our votes count, but we'll vote the vote suppressors right out of office.