Left In Lowell

As we head into the November 6th election, let’s consider a popular initiative among my conservative friends: Show ID To Vote Sure, you may scoff this effort, as I seldom do. But, as of this morning, I have some new questions along these lines:

- Do candidates have to show ID to put their name on a ballot?
- What if a candidate owned a few houses and was registered to vote in Lowell, but had a driver’s license and vehicle registrations in another MA town?
- What actually constitutes the legal definition of “residency?” Can you have a “summer home” that you stay in 3-6 months/year? From what I understand about car insurance, they like to bill you based on where you “garage” your vehicle.

Growing up, my father was a Teamster and my mother worked as a bookeeper, so we had some money and had a summer place up in Sandwich, NH. It never donned on me that you could potentially finagle such a set-up to spread yourself thin in “all the right places.” Though, I have never had a Cayman Island’s account (very legal, btw), I did enjoy a period of time when I was part of the “priviledged class.” When I was in the Army, I didn’t have to renew my driver’s license for 7 years or so. I was stationed in TN, living in KY and driving a vehicle with a MA plate and had a MA license to operate.

Of course, at the time, I was in the U.S. Infantry. I was not elected to City Council, School Committee or Greater Lowell High School School Committee.