I am from state A, grew up and went to college and lived there 1 year. Lived in State B while studying for 3 1/2 years. Now I have spent half a year in state C, am technically a temporary resident there but in the future I will probably end up a permenant resident. Is it ethical to vote in state A when I havn't lived there for 4 years and have moved twice?

If anyone knows the law here I'd love to hear it too. Got to make my decision.

Do you still have a foot in state A? Planning to return, etc.? Or is that over for you, as far as you know?

Um, the law is what's important. State C is where you live and where you have to vote.

Do the Democrat thing and vote in all three!

Likely over, if i moved it would most likely be to State B, but I follow and am deeply concerned with politics in State A (where my family is) far more than the other two states. Also I am still a legal resident of state A.

If you are currently living in State C and are considering permanent residency, it is the state you should be voting in. Yes, it is unethical (and illegal, if my admittedly amateur knowledge of election law is to be believed) to vote in State A if you no longer have any ties there.

When would you move from state C? You may want to vote there just for the judges.

Legality I'll try to get back to you on. Ethically, I do think you shouldn't vote in a state you're not living in at all anymore. You're not there to have to live with the consequences, live under the laws, etc.

I have ties, my drivers liscence, and residency status to start in state A.

What I am getting at is I have no permanent ties anywhere right now, I have a job in state C, but in the end it is technically temporary. I won't truely be considering permanent residency until it becomes perminant which is likely in the long run but not guarenteed especially in the short run. Sort of wondering how that plays out when making a decision. Its kind of a nebulous question.

It's basically impossible to get caught for voter fraud, so you would get away with it scott free. But since you live in State C that's probably where you should vote.

Sounds like "technically temporary" means "actually permanent, unless you screw up". You should be voting in State C IMHO.

In a lot of states, you'd be fine if you could claim an intent to return. For example, Vermont:

"You can decide where you reside for voting purposes. Vermont election law defines a resident for voting purposes as "a person who is domiciled in the town as evidenced by an intent to maintain a principal dwelling place in the town indefinitely and to return there if temporarily absent, coupled with an act or acts consistent with that intent." (17 V.S.A. §2122(b))."

Just be dang sure you don't vote in two places.

Of course, it is more complicated because you don't actually intend to return to State A. I really think this puts you in a gray area. Even Vermont's pretty liberal law would not apply to you.

err, its hard to explain in words. Definately not "actually permanent," but I see most believe voting in the state i'm living in at the moment is right.

I must say, I'm very sympathetic to your plight, and if you felt instead that state A was the likely place you'd return if C didn't work out, I'd absolutely tell you to stay in A for now. It's the fact that it's not that makes this start to seem iffy I think. I do think it would be completely fine to stay registered there for this one last year when you're not sure where you're going. I don't think it's OK long term though.

I'd return to A if what I'm doing now doesn't work out and nothing else is going. I'd like to go to B, but that would only be if I get a job. That could push it to A.

Just call the relevant secretaries of state's offices. They'll tell you what the legal thing to do is, which is identical to the "ethical thing" in this scenario.

Vote in the state that you have your license. Its the least confusing way. Really it doesn't even matter as you'll never be caught and your single vote isn't going to change anything.

"Really it doesn't even matter as you'll never be caught "

This may be why Santa included "ethics" in his question.