The voter registration deadline for New York State is October 10th. To find out if you're registered, go here; to get the forms required to register, go to your post office or click here.

I was disturbed to read in yesterday's Times that individuals who have lost their homes due to foreclosure are in danger of losing their right to vote as well if they don't re-register at their new location.

If this isn't the height of audacity, I don't know what is. First people lost their homes and then they lose their right to vote as a result. As if people who become homeless have time to think about whether they have re-registered.

And, of course, people who have lost their homes are not likely to vote Republican.

If you want to help make sure Barack Obama wins in November, take some time on the next few weekends before the election to do voter outreach in a swing state.

I plan to be in Phillie every Saturday from now through election day. I went 2 weeks ago and the work was easy but powerful. All you do is go door to door and talk to people to see if they are registered. If not, you can register them immediately.

I was able to register an 18 year old girl who will be voting for the first time in November - kind of cool, huh?

Check out the Moveon or Obama websites for move information.

Let's make sure Obama wins in November.

My fellow Indenpendent Neighborhood Democrats board member, Tom, has been doing wonderful work organizing voter registration events in Pennsylvania. His last effort sounds particularly successful. We all were inspired by Obama's speech at the Convention, (note...the republican convention really seems a bust, doesn't it?). If you want to help bring the dream to a reality, you can join his next effort on September 13th. Here is Tom's latest message:

Dear Friends,

Two weeks ago I asked you to, "Get on the Bus" to Pennsylvania for Barack Obama. Guess what? So many of you responded, Trans-Bridge Bus Lines, which services Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, had to give us a second bus.

Here's what you did this past Saturday in the Easton area:

You knocked on 2,166 doors
You spoke to 732 people
You registered 114 new voters

In 62 days Americans will decide what kind of country and what kind of world we want for ourselves and our children. I want each of you to look to the left, look to the right, grab whoever you see. Tell them to wake up. Tell them it's time. Sixty-two days. If they ask you what time it is, tell them the time is NOW. Tell them:

Another voter registration trip to Pennsylvania organized by a fellow IND member. Hope lots of people can help out!

Recent polling shows this race is neck and neck, and we have a scant 8 weeks to expand the electorate in key states through voter registration.

This Saturday, August 9th, we are traveling to Bethlehem, PA to register voters attending the 25th annual Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA. Bethlehem lies at the heart of the Lehigh Valley, a critical area that will spell victory or defeat in this must win swing state.

We will depart from Port Authority Bus Terminal (South Terminal, 8th Ave. btwn 40th & 41st St.), Saturday, August 9th, 8:00 am, aboard Trans-Bridge Bus Lines. The bus to South Bethlehem should depart from Gate 4 or 6. Please arrive early to purchase your ticket on the South Terminal main floor and make your way downstairs to the gate. Bus tickets are $39.45 round trip. Buses return at 5:35 pm and 7:40 pm, arriving back in New York at 8:00 pm and 10:05 pm, respectively.

Forgot to send this out earlier! Hopefully someone out there can join in last minute: (From a fellow IND member)

I'm happy to report that our voter registration initiative in
Pennsylvania is in full swing, with our first trip to North
Philadelphia a great success. At the direction of Pennsylvania ACORN,
we deployed up and down the Broad Street subway line, registering
voters in the street and transportation hubs.

Our next trip is scheduled for Saturday, July 26th. This time we are
invited to Easton, Pennsylvania as they celebrate African American
Heritage Day. Easton is a Delaware River town with an industrial past
and a challenging economic present. This area of the Lehigh Valley is
fortunate, however, to have some talented, enthusiastic Obama
organizers, and they are excited to host and direct our efforts on the
ground.

We will depart from Port Authority Bus Terminal (South Terminal, 8th
Ave. btwn 40th & 41st St.), Saturday, July 26th, 9:00 am, aboard
Trans-Bridge Bus Lines. The bus to Easton should depart from Gate 4
or 6. Please arrive early to purchase your ticket on the South

It is time to gear up for November with some serious voter registration, Effort now can win big in November. There are already voter reg efforts in nearby states. This comes from someone at Independent Neighborhood Democrats:

Dear Friends,

I'm excited to announce that our first voter registration trip to Philadelphia will take place Saturday, July 5th. I'm very pleased that we are partnering with Pennsylvania ACORN. Upon arrival in Philadelphia, we will report to their office for a brief training session, after which we will be dispatched to the streets crawling with unregistered voters eager for our assistance.

Pennsylvania has been a pivotal swing state over the last several presidential election cycles. Indeed, Republican strategists have made no secret that they view Pennsylvania as a key target in 2008. We must make sure that Pennsylvania is firmly in the Obama column. At stake is not only the White House, but most certainly the Supreme Court, where 88 year old John Paul Stevens holds the deciding vote on issues such as a woman's right to choose, Affirmative Action, right to trial, and a host of other civil liberties.