With us entering the final 3 weeks, we’re in the final stretch, and for some people, this is their first time here as a politically active voter. For those new people, there’s something important that happens this week when it comes to strategy for a successful campaign. We’re out of the coalition building stage, and we’re into the mobilizing stage. It’s no longer about trying to convince people that our side is the one that they should vote for, its now about getting those we have convinced to take the last step and actually cast their vote.
To those who are still trying to convince others to be part of this with us: I’m never against trying to get someone to see the light. That said, it’s been 8 years. We have literally said everything we could say about the orange hot air machine. At this point, either they’re going to convince themselves to do what’s right, or they’re not. And sometimes, what will convince them is seeing the people around them getting their vote in early. Focus on getting those you’ve convinced to go to the polls.
Right now, the biggest thing is working the mail-in and early voting. Here’s how you can help with banking those votes and maybe stop feeling helpless about this election.
MAIL-IN BALLOTS
Some people requested mail-in ballots and should have received them by now. You should check-in with any friends or contacts you know have mail-in ballots and make sure they’ve got them in. If they didn’t receive a requested ballot, you can check with your local election offices to see what their procedure is. Most times, it will turn out the request for the mail-in ballot was never received, but that just means they’re clear to vote in person, either early or on election day. Worst case scenario, the ballot was sent and something has happened. In this case they’ll have to cast a provisional ballot at their local election.
If they do have their mail-in ballots, remind them to get them in the mail, or to drop them off at a secure ballot box if they’re concerned about mailing it. Again, the local state election boards should have maps of all ballot drop off boxes. The most important thing is to get that ballot into the system, because mail-in ballots only count if they get in and are accepted.
Speaking of accepted, remind people that their state may use ballot tracking to make sure your vote gets in. If so, they should keep an eye on it because of the second important thing, making sure the vote is accepted. If there’s something wrong with a mail-in ballot, your state may provide a process called “curing” to correct the issue so the ballot counts. If there’s an issue, the tracker will instruct you what to do to cure your ballot. If your state doesn’t use tracking, they may reach out to the voter via text, letter, or phone call. This means that if you have a mail-in ballot out and over the next three weeks, answer any phone call or text from your election board and check your mail for letters from them.
EARLY VOTING
Some people prefer to vote in person. There are options for those that do not require waiting till election day. You can look up on Vote.org when your states early voting starts, then check with your local state election board to find early voting sites. Most early voting runs through the Saturday before the election, though it can be shorter. The process is roughly the same voting on election day, usually minus a huge line.
CONCLUSION
The most important thing here is this: You can help get out the early vote. We’re out of the period where we have to sit around, looking at polls and feeling powerless. Getting your friends and family to vote early is a way to ensure their vote is counted. It might even be the difference between them voting or not voting in this election. One thing is for sure, its always nice on election night for us election junkies when the early vote totals are in, and we can start looking at historical data to get our first actual look at where we stand.
