by Jessica Sabbath

Two months ago today I married my college sweetheart. Life as a newlywed has been completely blissful, but the ordeal of changing my legal name and new address has been anything but. It’s daunting thinking about how many organizations I have to contact about the change, from the Social Security Administration to my credit card accounts, not to mention the magazines I subscribe to and the local running club.

Rock the Vote can help with at least one change. Last week, I received a notice in the mail reminding me I needed to update my voter registration records. Not only did the flier include a voter registration application already filled in with my name and address, but it included an envelope already addressed to the Virginia State Board of Elections. It even had a special section for changing your name. Perfect for recent brides.

Rock the Vote, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization encouraging youth participation in elections, is currently conducting a one-time field experiment to remind young people who have moved to reregister to vote. Chris Kennedy, a research analyst with Rock the Vote, is managing the project. Kennedy told me they are sending snail mail and e-mail to 18-to-29-year-old voters who have moved recently, using Post Office data to devise their lists.

Young voters move twice as often as the average population, Kennedy said, and the group is testing methods to help people reregister.

Perhaps Rock the Vote’s strategy will work. It certainly can help check off one entry on that long list of things to do after a move.

Need to register to vote? Follow this link, and Rock the Vote can help. http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_register.php?ms=vabusiness