Primary deadline
My family got cable back in the '80s. And I wasted a lot of summer afternoons re-watching cheesy adolescent comedies.
If you did the same, remember this cliche? Some kid that nobody cares about ends up making all the difference. The quiet, nerdy guy who up to then walked through life unnoticed suddenly becomes the hero when he wins the heart of the prom queen with really, really big hair. Or maybe because of him, the summer camp for misfits and lovable slobs (and usually an ethnic stereotype or two) wins the climactic baseball game against the snooty rich kids.
Now that I think about it, maybe the fact that today's kids sit around and play "Grand Theft Auto" for hours isn't necessarily a bad thing. But I digress.
This year, Pennsylvania could be that nondescript kid who makes all the difference. I'm talking about the primaries.
When it comes to presidential primaries, you can usually file Pennsylvania under "Who cares?" Iowans get the early attention and the assurances from candidates that if elected, they would push for policies mandating that all federal buildings will henceforth be built out of corn.
But by the time Pennsylvania's primary comes around in April, the presidential front-runners are usually selected and nobody thinks about us -- at least until around October, when our status as a swing state means that everyone wants to be our pal.
This year, however, things might be different with the Democratic primaries. It depends on whether or not there's a clear Democratic front runner after Tuesday's primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island.
After that, Wyoming and Mississippi have relatively small groups of delegates up for grabs. But then Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton would compete for Pennsylvania's 188 delegates, which might determine once and for all who the Democratic candidate is.
If you want to be part of that story -- or if you're a Republican and just want to vote in the primary -- you better get cracking. The primary is April 22, and the deadline to register is March 24.
Fortunately, the York County Elections/Voter Registration Office makes it easy for you. As long as they get your voter registration form postmarked by March 24, you're in.
The address is:
Elections/Voter Registration Office
Administrative Center
28 East Market St.
York, PA 17401-1579
You can download forms at their Website, at http://www.york-county.org/voters/election.htm
If you don't have online access, or if you need more information, give them a call at 771-9604.
