intra vires
Glory to Michigan
Today, September 22, 2020, is National Voter Registration Day.
Instead of snidely expecting everyone to know this stuff or assuming you all would have time to look it up if you did not, I thought it would be prudent to compile a list of helpful resources so everyone here is prepared for the upcoming election.
Section 1: Status & Registration
If you are not sure about whether or not you're registered to vote, then you can Check Your Voter Registration Status by clicking on that link. Just fill out the information and you will be able to find out your status in about 30 seconds. Also, if you were previously convicted of a felony and aren’t sure if you can vote in your state you can visit Restore Your Vote to determine your eligibility.
If you are not sure when your state’s Voter Registration Deadline is you can follow that link to find out. As you may have surmised September 22, 2020 is comfortably before the earliest deadline.
So now that you know your status and your state’s deadline, you can now Register to Vote if necessary. It should take about two minutes which is less time than it will take you to read this post. Additionally, if you are an American living abroad or in the military you can go to Overseas Vote Foundation to check your status, register, and request a ballot.
Section 2: Voting
Alright so you are registered to vote, great, but that does not mean you know where to go on election day. Hell, what if you want to vote early or absentee so you can avoid the long lines during a pandemic in what is sure to be an election with historic turnout? Well, that will be covered.
First things first, everyone should know the location of their designated Polling Place. Just follow the link, find your state, and you will be taken to your state’s website. Even if you plan on voting early or absentee, something may come up that prevents you from utilizing those methods – always have a backup plan.
Information on Early In-Person Voting can be found through that link. Scroll down until you see your state for the relevant information.
You can Request an Absentee Ballot by following this link. Personally, I recommend requesting one even if you do not intend on voting by this method just in case something comes up that prevents you from voting on election day. Moreover, you do not have to return your absentee ballot via mail, for virtually every state it can be dropped off at your Local Election Office and the link provided will help to locate the one nearest you. You can also contact the office for information concerning polling locations, in-person registration, and other things regarding local elections. The SOS’s (secretary of state or equivalent position) website for your state would also be a good place to visit for information concerning the election. At least two of the links I have posted will get you to the page relevant to you.
If you live in a state that does mail voting like California, Oregon, Washington, etc. you do not need to request an absentee ballot. However, if you need to request a mail ballot, update your address, or get information on ballot drop boxes, then your state’s SOS website will provide you with all of that.
Section 3: Voting Smarter
One of the issues people have on election day is it will often be the first time they meaningfully engage with ballot measures and lesser-known races. To alleviate that problem, here are the links to a Sample Ballot and the list of 2020 Ballot Measures. For the sample ballot, you just need to fill out the requested information and it will show you virtually everything that will appear on your actual ballot come November 3rd. With this information, you can avoid being tripped up by lesser-known races like County Engineer or Comptroller (it's a glorified accountant) and have a better understanding of who candidates in the “nonpartisan” races are. Furthermore, they will allow you to determine what position you want to take on the ballot measures, which sometimes have ambiguous descriptions. Additionally, Ballotpedia, which is the website that sample ballot links to, allows you to look up the candidates and measures so you can see who supports them.
To conclude I just want to say that this post is not supposed to be exhaustive. I am aware I did not cover ballot drop boxes, which people out west will be more familiar with. I was trying to be a broad as possible so please add any additional resources and information you can think of.
Instead of snidely expecting everyone to know this stuff or assuming you all would have time to look it up if you did not, I thought it would be prudent to compile a list of helpful resources so everyone here is prepared for the upcoming election.
Section 1: Status & Registration
If you are not sure about whether or not you're registered to vote, then you can Check Your Voter Registration Status by clicking on that link. Just fill out the information and you will be able to find out your status in about 30 seconds. Also, if you were previously convicted of a felony and aren’t sure if you can vote in your state you can visit Restore Your Vote to determine your eligibility.
If you are not sure when your state’s Voter Registration Deadline is you can follow that link to find out. As you may have surmised September 22, 2020 is comfortably before the earliest deadline.
So now that you know your status and your state’s deadline, you can now Register to Vote if necessary. It should take about two minutes which is less time than it will take you to read this post. Additionally, if you are an American living abroad or in the military you can go to Overseas Vote Foundation to check your status, register, and request a ballot.
Section 2: Voting
Alright so you are registered to vote, great, but that does not mean you know where to go on election day. Hell, what if you want to vote early or absentee so you can avoid the long lines during a pandemic in what is sure to be an election with historic turnout? Well, that will be covered.
First things first, everyone should know the location of their designated Polling Place. Just follow the link, find your state, and you will be taken to your state’s website. Even if you plan on voting early or absentee, something may come up that prevents you from utilizing those methods – always have a backup plan.
Information on Early In-Person Voting can be found through that link. Scroll down until you see your state for the relevant information.
You can Request an Absentee Ballot by following this link. Personally, I recommend requesting one even if you do not intend on voting by this method just in case something comes up that prevents you from voting on election day. Moreover, you do not have to return your absentee ballot via mail, for virtually every state it can be dropped off at your Local Election Office and the link provided will help to locate the one nearest you. You can also contact the office for information concerning polling locations, in-person registration, and other things regarding local elections. The SOS’s (secretary of state or equivalent position) website for your state would also be a good place to visit for information concerning the election. At least two of the links I have posted will get you to the page relevant to you.
If you live in a state that does mail voting like California, Oregon, Washington, etc. you do not need to request an absentee ballot. However, if you need to request a mail ballot, update your address, or get information on ballot drop boxes, then your state’s SOS website will provide you with all of that.
Section 3: Voting Smarter
One of the issues people have on election day is it will often be the first time they meaningfully engage with ballot measures and lesser-known races. To alleviate that problem, here are the links to a Sample Ballot and the list of 2020 Ballot Measures. For the sample ballot, you just need to fill out the requested information and it will show you virtually everything that will appear on your actual ballot come November 3rd. With this information, you can avoid being tripped up by lesser-known races like County Engineer or Comptroller (it's a glorified accountant) and have a better understanding of who candidates in the “nonpartisan” races are. Furthermore, they will allow you to determine what position you want to take on the ballot measures, which sometimes have ambiguous descriptions. Additionally, Ballotpedia, which is the website that sample ballot links to, allows you to look up the candidates and measures so you can see who supports them.
To conclude I just want to say that this post is not supposed to be exhaustive. I am aware I did not cover ballot drop boxes, which people out west will be more familiar with. I was trying to be a broad as possible so please add any additional resources and information you can think of.