Sure today is about presidents, pundits and pandering. We’ve blogged macacas, Obamas and Madias. But today is Election Day, and not only is today the day to vote, but we need to make sure that this vote is counted.

I am getting up at the crack of dawn to partake in protecting the rights of Asian and Pacific Islander voters all across Southern California. There are already other stories coming out of the woodwork - one friend of mine registered to vote but couldn’t be found on the rolls, and another friend stood in a five hour line at the Los Angeles Registrar of Voter to vote early on Friday. On Election Day, the stories are expected to be tenfolds worse and poll monitors will be sent to polls all across the nation to keep the suppression at a minimum. If you haven’t signed up to volunteer with an official organization, you can grab your camera and Video the Vote or document your story.

I stole the following Q&A from a post I did for Sepia Mutiny during the 2006 Election, but it still works, for the most part.

What do I do if I requested an absentee ballot/registered to vote and haven’t received anything yet? You should go to your polling place and vote in person, and if they don’t have your name, you should vote provisionally. They have to give you a provisional ballot - they’ll verify over the next week to see what the problem is and if they count it. If you’re too far from your polling place, call your Secretary of State’s office or the hotline.

What if I have my absentee form, but I forgot to mail it? Take your absentee form to your local polling place and drop it off in person.

What if I go to vote and they don’t have my name? Vote provisionally. If you have your voter registration receipt, that is your proof of registration. And call the hotline.

Do I need to bring ID to vote? It depends on what state you live in, though as organizers we feel that asking for a voter ID is a form of disenfranchisement and are continuously battling this. But here in CA, I’m pretty sure if you are a first time voter that didn’t put down a CA DL number or SS # on your reg form, they will ask for your ID. If they ask for your ID, and you live in a state/situation where you don’t need an ID, call the hotline.

What if I don’t know where I’m supposed to go and vote? Simple go to the Polling Place Finder.

I didn’t get any information from my registrar’s info on who I’m voting for. What should I do? You should still vote, at your nearest polling place. To figure out what you are voting for before you go to your polling place, go to Smart Voter. With a quick submit of your address, they can find you all the candidates and propositions for your district. If they don’t have your name in their list, VOTE PROVISIONALLY.

It’s already 7:30 pm, and there will be this long line at the polls, and by the time I get there, I’ll be turned away… Most employers will give you two hours to go vote today, be sure to ask to see if you can get out early, or do it on your lunch break. Polls are open from 7am to 8pm. All you have to do is go stand in line before 8pm - as long as you are in line, they can’t turn you away. If they try to, or if they closed your poll early, call the hotline. [SepiaMutiny]

There is a national Election Protection hotline that I HIGHLY recommend that you scrawl on the back of your hand before leaving the house today: 1-866-OUR-VOTE. The Election Protection site has gotten tech-savvy since 2006, and there are up to the minute updates on stories of suppression across the country. If you have questions about the voting process and don’t want to call the hotline, please enter them in the comment section or e-mail me at taz[at]saavy.org and I’ll do my best. If you have stories of voting today, whether positive experiences or stories of voter suppression, please enter them in the comments as well - I’d love to hear the desi experience on voting all across the country. It’d also be interesting to see if desis get unfairly targeted for the denial of voting rights.

And in case it wasn’t obvious, GO VOTE!