What’s your plan to vote in the presidential election?
This year, how you vote really matters. Here’s my strategy.
Casting a vote in the upcoming election should be straightforward. However, for many, voting is anything but easy. This year, COVID-19, rising voter disenfranchisement, and other disruptions have created a lot of confusion over when and how to vote.
If you haven’t already, now is a great time to hatch a plan to vote. Map out a strategy that works for your schedule, health concerns and location (many states have their own rules; check your state’s guidelines).
Here’s a peek at mine.
Register to Vote
First, I went to vote.org to check my voter registration status, poll location, deadlines, and other information. You can register online until October 5 .
Apply for an Absentee Ballot
Next, I sent in an application for an absentee ballot, because I don’t want to wait in a long line at a physical poll location. In my state, applications must be received by the county board of registrar’s office by October 30.
Be sure to check the website for your Secretary of State’s office to make sure your application was received by the registrar.
Vote Early
Once my ballot arrives, I’ll need to carefully follow the instructions and mail it to the registrar’s office ASAP, so it’s delivered well in advance of Election Day on November 3.
Those who wish to vote early at their precinct can do so between October 12 and October 30. (In my state, I can bring my mail-in ballot to my registrar’s office for that “vote-in-person feeling.”)
Become a volunteer poll worker
Make it easier for people to vote in your county by volunteering to work at your voting precinct on November 3.
Let’s ensure that communities have in-person voting options that are safe, secure and efficient. It is particularly important this year. In the last election, more than half of poll workers nationwide were 61 and older, and many will not volunteer in the November election due to the coronavirus pandemic.
For more information, and to become a poll worker, sign up online. Bring along your favorite teenager. Most states allow minors to participate through youth poll workers programs.
Make Election Day a Holiday
Unfortunately, Election Day in the U.S. is not a holiday, as it is in many other countries. Not everyone can take off work to vote on a Tuesday. Although some companies are giving employees paid time off to vote, most Americans will be short on time. Especially people who vote in underserved communities and experience long wait times at the polls.
Personally, even though I will have voted by mail, I’m not scheduling meetings or sending a lot of emails on Election Day. It’s a small thing, perhaps, but small things matter this year.
Let’s treat November 3 like a day of service — to our country and to each other.
