Here in Massachusetts, it is possible for me, a registered-but-unaffiliated voter, to vote in the state’s presidential primary election in February just by showing up at the poll and asking for the ballot of whichever party I want to vote in. I’ve decided to do that in this upcoming primary rather than shirk the one opportunity I have to exert my miniscule influence over the process of selecting the nominee. Luckily, it’s very simple here, and afterward I can either allow my name to be enrolled with the Democratic Party or mail in a card to reassert my “unenrolled” status.

However, depending on where you live, you may need to be a bit more pro-active about voting in your state’s primary. The map above indicates when the primary elections are being held in each state (here’s the original map at Political Maps.org so you can see more details). Twenty-three states are having their primaries and/or caucuses on February 5; that’s 40% of all the delegates that each party will send to the national conventions. There is little doubt in anyone’s mind that the outcome of “MegaTuesday” will decide the nominations. This is an unprecedented compression of the primary election calendar, but I don’t know how many people are really aware of how quickly things are going to be all wrapped up in 2008. People complain about the seemingly unending coverage of primary campaigns, but I personally do not think it’s terribly wise to have what amounts to a single national primary election so early on.

Meanwhile, if you’re still not sure whom to vote for, you might consider reading this piece from Sunday’s Boston Globe: Reporter Charlie Savage asked all the candidates to stake their positions on reining in executive power and the notorious overuse of signing statements by President Bush. The answers range from mildly equivocating to strongly rejecting to somewhat agreeing with Bush’s actions, and you might be surprised at who said what.