One would hope that I add something to the world- be it good, bad, or indifferent- Me
People who go around college campuses to register students to vote. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for voting. However these people are always encouraging you to register in the state you go to school in.
They seem to not understand that changing where you vote is CHANGING YOUR RESIDENCY! Yes, as a student you probably qualify to have your residency be where you go to school...however, if you do this you are saying LEGALLY that you no longer reside where your parents live.
This may not seem like a big deal. In fact, it may seem like a great thing. Out of your parents house once and for all... HOWEVER, it may change the fact that you are a dependent.
Here's what dependent status means:
Qualifying Children:
To be claimed as a qualifying child, the person must meet four criteria:
Relationship — the person must be your child, step child, adopted child, foster child, brother or sister, or a descendant of one of these (for example, a grandchild or nephew).
Residence — for more than half the year, the person must have the same residence as you do
.
Age — the person must be
under age 19 at the end of the year, or
under age 24 and a be a full-time student for at least five months out of the year, or
any age and totally and permanently disabled.
Support — the person did not provide more than half of his or her own support during the year.
Let's compare that to the requirements to be a legal resident of California:
349. (a) "Residence" for voting purposes means a person's domicile. (b) The domicile of a person is that place in which his or herhabitation is fixed, wherein the person has the intention ofremaining, and to which, whenever he or she is absent, the person hasthe intention of returning. At a given time, a person may have onlyone domicile. (c) The residence of a person is that place in which the person'shabitation is fixed for some period of time, but wherein he or shedoes not have the intention of remaining. At a given time, a personmay have more than one residence..
So, let's review:
The IRS says you have to live with your parents for at least 6 months of the year. Voter registration says that you have to have the intention of remaining, have your status be fixed and that you can only have ONE domicile.
While techincally you COULD swing that you intend to remain where your college is- it would be quite easy to look at your college records and determine that your 'permanent address' is not where you are currently.
This whole argument may seem a little outlandish to some of you...and maybe it is...but I swear- it happened to a friend of mine. She had her financial aid taken away....
It's just a warning. Be careful....
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3 comments:
of course DMV says you need to change even sooner...
and I wouldn't try to use that residency to get in state tuition in CA
this one has always bugged me too
Pennsylvania had problems with this too; if you were living in the state for more than 30 days you were supposed to change your residency, even if you were staying in a hotel!
I think the problem is not with the voter registration drives but the state laws that discriminate against the mobile portions of society (students, road workers, etc.).
Okay, I've heard differently - I've heard the laws were changed so that areas could get the college vote that one couldn't get if they were a resident in another state....
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