I’m torn. I saw the insanity that was the Wisconsin April primary (I live nearby, though in MN)
I voted in the August primary (Senator and County Commissioner) just to get an idea of what November might be like. it took me ~3 min, and I was the only voter there for 90% of it. Of course turnout in November will be much higher (and have more bubbles to fill) A lot of the insanity in WI was due to the severe reduction in polling places. My small city (~5000) already only has one. I’m also paranoid mail may get “lost” (though you can track your ballot) I can also vote in person early, though that is a 20 mile drive to the county courthouse.
Since I believe in presumption of criminal innocence, that’s not a big concern for me. A politician can be arrested and convicted after a fair trial, if need be.
There is one exception to this on the ballot. The President of the United States, if sufficiently shameless, is above the law. But I plan to vote in September anyway. I think the risk I will learn something in October, that will make me wish I had voted for Trump, is low.
As for the risk that my vote won’t be counted, Pennsylvania allows me to see, on a web site, when my ballot was received. If it was not, I can still vote in person. Due to COVID, I hope not to have to do that, and, due to voting as early as possible, I expect not to have to do that.
“No, I accept that you’re me from the future. And I believe you’re an angel sent by God and you’re the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. But I’m sorry, guys, I still don’t think I can cast a vote for Trump.”
No, I like to go to the polls and do it. Once my ballot goes in the machine and is accepted, I’m as sure as can be that it will be counted. We have no-excuse mail-in voting in MI, but I just prefer in person. If I could, I’d vote early and vote often.
I assume you will have other races on your ballot… Right now I am holding my (non-presidential) primary ballot and I know who I will vote for on the top of the ballot, but I’m waiting to watch a league of women voters “meet the candidates” forum for some minor offices.
In some states, the cancellation date matters and in others the ballot is not accepted if not cancelled (says the votemaster).
I just read that Ohio law requires a drop box in every county, so the Republican secretary of state has ordered exactly one in each county seat. Curiously this will inconvenience mainly rural voters.
It’s easy enough, and I’m pretty sure if I show up late morning sometime in the middle of the early voting period, there won’t be any lines. And I may even get to meet some of the candidates for local races.
At least that’s what happened when I voted in the primary. No lines- I think there was the only voter in the building at that time. And I got to meet and chat with several local candidates they were hanging out in the parking lot. That may have been coincidence but it was helpful to me.
The envelope it came in was mailed by the local town clerk using a postage meter. The mailing date was not part of the metering.
The return envelope is business reply mail (or it can be dropped off). I don’t know if business reply mail normally gets postmarked. Don’t know what it’s like in other states, but I’ve seen pictures of return envelopes that had stamps and a postmark on them.
I think Trump’s team is gonna try to have any non-postmarked envelopes in certain states (or maybe even only certain districts) thrown out, and I think that probably has to get resolved in each state’s court separately since the states run their elections.
In the Democratic primary, in my town, we voted in outdoor tents, well, outdoors for COVID. I suspect it will be the same. I voted for city and state elections by mail. I’ll vote in person risking COVID because I hated finding someone at home during the day to witness my signature,
I guess I’ll just stroll down a block and a half to the voting site from my house, say “Hi” to my neighbors who are manning everything and vote. And I got to keep the golf pencil we used for marking the ballot (because they were considered contaminated).
My state was sort of ‘full free mail in voting–didn’t need a reason–COVID was assumed’.
This isn’t a new thing. There’s never been more than one early voting location per county, and ballot dropoff and early voting are (technically) the same thing and have to happen at the same place. The Secretary of State has asked the legislature to allow ballots to be dropped off at additional locations, but that’s probably not going to happen.
I was thinking of using mail-in. But now I am absolutely sure that I will just vote in person. In my county, I can vote at the courthouse beginning in mid-October. I will utilize that option. Usually, there are very few people there, as I live in a rural county. I will just wear a mask and be in and out of there fairly quickly. The poll workers around here had masks when I voted in the primaries, and I expect the same in October. I’m not going to chance anything with the post office. Not with Trump trying to destroy it.
We are a vote by mail state. IF I get my ballot, I will fill it out and put it in the drop box of a county government facility. These boxes are covered by cameras so I hope they are not tampered with (I walk by one every day when I didn’t work from home) The last time I went to my office, back in March, there was a Sheriffs vehicle parked outside. Just waiting, and I think protecting the building. Things are a little weird, but we are a fairly moderate county.
Both my Wife and I work for county government. Since the last day to vote is November 3rd, we could be having VERY bad weather. There was/is talk about parking buses near poling places so that people can at least sit in the heated bus and wait for their turn instead of standing out in the snow. There are some buses that have both a back entrance and a front entrance. I think that might work pretty well. It’s still a petri dish, but it’s an idea.
Our ballot boxes in my county are very secure. Yeah, you could through a chain around one and attempt to drag one off, or pour something in it. But you will be caught on camera. It would take some organization, forethought and planning which MAGOTs have shown they don’t have.
If my ballot never comes, well, I’ll be standing in line.
I’ll vote as soon as I research the down ticket candidates and issues. Oregon has been vote-by-mail for 22 years, and it’s also easy to go to a drop box.
I’ll vote in-person, but early. Assuming they need me, I’ll be an election judge and the polling place I’m assigned is not the one where I can vote. in the past Mr. Middon and I would vote and go out to lunch – that won’t be happening this year obviously.
We typically go to City Hall to vote, but given the problems with this election I think we’ll go to the Election Commission office – the other side of the county. That’s the only place where we can vote early on a paper ballot instead of using the electronic machine. The machines AIUI are ridiculously easy to hack, and this election is I fear more likely to have that kind of evil happening.