The last time I blogged, I wrote about working at my polling place. And now—somehow!—the mid-term elections are right around the corner! Even though November 3 will be the 10th election I’ve worked, this time I’ve opted to join an in-person training session (rather than virtual) since I anticipate many voters will have questions about their mail-in ballots.
With this big election right around the corner, I thought I’d share some helpful resources to ensure that if you are eligible to vote in the United States that you are registered, you know where your polling place is OR your state’s laws for voting by mail, and that you’ve made a plan to cast your ballot.
First, you’ll need to confirm you’re registered to vote. It’s important to check no matter what, and especially if you’ve moved recently or changed your name for any reason. You may need to re-register or change your registration, and you’ll want to allow as much time as possible for this to avoid a last-minute scramble.
Next, double-check your polling place. As I noted in my last blog, I used to be able to vote in my own building, which was such a luxury! Covid changed that, and if you’ve been voting by mail recently and plan to vote in-person in November, be sure you know where you’re going. When you confirm your registration, you should plainly see your polling place, but it’s easy to overlook that if you assume you know where you’re headed. Make no assumptions this year and plan ahead!
Once you’ve identified your polling place, if you plan to vote in person, think about the logistics. What do your Tuesdays usually look like? Can you block time on your calendar mid-morning, or later in the day to step away from your desk? Is there typically traffic at certain times of day en route? Do you have childcare coverage? There’s a chance lines may be line (or course more likely before 9AM, during lunchtime, and after 5PM), so build in extra time wherever you can.
If instead you choose to vote by mail, ensure you know where secure drop-offs are located, and set a calendar reminder to drop off your ballot within the date and time range when ballots are being accepted.
I’ve linked to federal resources here, but be sure to look at your region- and state-specific guidelines. In Pennsylvania for example, if you have signed up to receive a mail-in ballot but change your mind and prefer to vote in person, you must bring your ENTIRE ballot to your polling place—including the envelopes (there’s an internal and an external envelope!) mailed with your ballot—in order to surrender that ballot and vote on the machines. If you forget an envelope, Pennsylvania still allows you to vote provisionally, but that’s a topic for another post. Nuances like this vary greatly by state so it’s worth taking a few minutes to confirm you understand what you need to do in order for your vote to be counted.
Understand who and what you’re voting for! Last but certainly not least, it’s critical that you’re informed on the candidates and ballot measures that will appear on your ballot. In Philadelphia, I rely on the Committee of Seventy, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization which advocates for the improvement of government in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. With a long history running all the way back to 1904, the committee’s board of directors is made up of 70 business, legal, and civic leaders. The Committee of Seventy focuses on issues such as elections and voting, campaign finance, ethics and transparency, and redistricting. If I have questions on anything, I also go to my local paper (the Philadelphia Inquirer) and public radio station (WHYY) for more in-depth election analysis.
Personally, I plan on voting on the machines this year. In recent elections I’ve voted by mail for the convenience of being able to complete my ballot gradually, researching issue by issue and candidate by candidate. (Ballots can be long!) This year I’ll view my sample ballot well in advance, and I’ll be confident in my selections before I head over to my polling place at 6AM on the 3rd!
It can often feel like things are overwhelming and we don’t have a say in the big decisions that influence our lives, but voting DOES matter, and even your one vote can make a difference when we think about the collective, especially if you can encourage a friend or family member—or two—to vote as well.
Obviously, I’m passionate about this, so I’d love to hear your plan to vote, or if you have any questions I maybe didn’t cover here. Thanks for reading and happy voting!
Mylène Kerschner – Senior Research and Consulting Manager
