Vote early! On Friday, we learned that USPS states have informed that some post-in polls run the risk of not being counted.
Several states have received communications from the USPS General Counsel, which outlines standard postal delivery times and prices and prices leading up to the November election and warns state secretaries that election laws enacted by states would not necessarily guarantee post-in ballots in time will be received counted.
CNN received letters sent to Washington, Pennsylvania, California and North Carolina. The Utah lieutenant governor’s office also confirmed to CNN that it received a letter in late July. The Washington Post reported 46 states and Washington, DC, all received similar warnings.
USPS General Counsel Thomas Marshall wrote to the Secretary of State of California that “there is a significant risk that some votes will not be returned by mail to count under your laws because we understand them.”
The letters suggest that election mail be sent by first-class mail, at a higher rate than the nonprofit rate used by most states, an obstacle to cash-strapped states handling the pandemic.
Pennsylvania may extend its deadline to receive votes up to three days after the election, provided they are mailed on election day.
See below for more on deadlines, but just remember not to wait until the last minute to vote by mail. And if you want to know how to get a good mood, there are links below
“What we have seen in a way that is unique to modern political history is a president who is explicit in trying to discourage people from voting,” Obama said. “What we’ve never seen before is telling a president, ‘I will try to actively push the postal service to encourage voting and I will be explicit about why I do it.'”
“That’s kind of unusual,” he said.
After telling Fox News on Thursday that he was deliberately withholding money from USPS because of voting, Trump appears to be changing his mind Friday.
At a press conference in Washington, Trump said he would give the Postal Service money that it has asked to maintain operations as part of an incentive bill, but said Democrats need to do more to trim the support they want to give to state governments in that bill.
How can you make sure your mail-in-vote is counted
What’s clear is that far more Americans will be able to vote by mail this year – 76% of the country, according to the New York Times. In the time of Covid, we can assume that many more people will make use of it.
But it will take some planning and a little more work from you, the voter. We’ll update this as needed, but here’s a guide to make sure your mail-in-vote is counted.
Calculate what is happening in your state
The elections are still off for a while, but it’s not too early to see what’s going on in your state in terms of mail – in voting.
The first mail-in polls to be sent this year will be in North Carolina, on September 4th. However, voters can request a post-absent vote until October 27 (election day is November 3)
You should check with your local secretary of state or election website. Google will be valuable here. Or there are a number of organizations that have lists of every Secretary of State website.
That’s the thing. Every state is a little different.
Get in the mood by email
A number of states – the entire West Coast, DC and a few others – send e-mail ballots to each voter.
Most other states require that a voter apply for a vote for a mail. Some of them require an excuse, such as a medical condition, jury duty, temporary residence outside the district for military duty or school, and so on. You just have to check. During Covid, it seems that almost everyone could argue the medical condition but check. Just check.
Many states that require an application to get an absent vote make it a fairly easy online process, although these websites are not all online yet.
But some of them require you to download the application and email, email or drop off at a government office.
In South Dakota, for example, you have no excuse. But you will need to bring a copy of your driver’s license.
Many states, including South Dakota, have or will send applications for absentee ballots to their entire electorate.
In my state of Virginia there is an online form and you just enter your license number and verify that the signature on your diving license can be used to verify your vote.
Again, each state is a little different.
Highlight your calendar
Most states, according to the database at representUS, require an absentee ballot by mid to late October. Some of them allow a request to be submitted by the day before election day.
But seriously, what are you waiting for?
If you wait until the last minute, you may be better off voting in person if that is available to you, especially if you do not have enough time to send the mail to you and then return to your local amtners. You’ve seen the stuff above, right? There are allegations that the email is actually slowing down at the moment, so there will be fewer votes.
Track your mood
Most states give your vote using USPS a code. After you have applied, you can go to the Secretary of State’s website and see where you are in the process.
It’s like ordering a Domino’s pizza and watching it on your phone when it’s out of the oven. Or file your taxes! The federal government recommends that you do the same.
But not all states offer this feature. And they are not all Southern states opposed to sending email you might think. You can expect Texas to require an excuse to vote by mail and not offer a tracking system. But New York also requires an apology and does not hold your vote either. Connecticut is an example of a Northeastern state that allows temporary voting by mail, even though they do not follow your vote.
If it does not matter, you may want to go to your polling station and examine your options, which are likely to fill in a preliminary vote.
Do not wait
The underlying warning of the USPS’s letters to states is that ballots sent late may not be delivered on time to be counted under state law.
Some states count votes received on election day.
Some states count votes received at a given time on election day:
- 6 o’clock in Kentucky!
- 19 o’clock in Colorado!
- 20 hours in Delaware!
Some states count votes postmarked on election day, but received within a certain number of days:
- 2 days in Connecticut!
- 10 days in Maryland!
- 14 days in Illinois!
It is up to you
This year, more than any other in recent history, because of the pandemic that will be the onus on the voter, make sure they can vote.
While states make provisions to help people vote by mail and absenteeism, this is clearly a process that is more complicated than just appearing on election day. And it will be a little different for everyone, depending on where you live.
But whatever you do, if you are planning to vote one way or the other at a polling station, start figuring out the process now. It can not hurt.
.
