5 Things You Need to Know Today: Oct. 12

Our weekday morning column, 5 Things You Need to Know, provides you with information that can help you plan your day and give you some fodder for water cooler conversations.

Today we focus on the upcoming election.

1. Are you registered to vote? Do you know where your precinct is located? Now would be a good time to check that everything is in order, and you know where you're going on Nov. 6. Because Oct. 17 is the deadline for registering.

2. A rush of activity is underway at Milford Town Hall. About 20 people a day are registering to vote, said Town Clerk Amy Hennessy Neves.

3. The number of registered voters in Milford was 17,507 as of Thursday morning. Of that number: 5,330 are Democrats; 1,959 are Republicans; and 10,120 are unenrolled.

4. Do you need identification to register? Not to register, but you need to provide identifying information, including a driver's license number or the last four digits of your social security number. According to a Q and A from the Town Clerk's office: "If you do not have that information when you register to vote you will be asked to show identification at the polls the first time that you vote in that location. The identification required at the polls must include the address at which you registered." For more information, see attached PDF of the Q and A.    

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5. If you are a U.S. citizen, but live outside the U.S., here is how you can vote, too:  http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elemil/milidx.htm