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Hello Citizen Cyclists,
Last week I wrote about the benefit of having a voting plan. Determining where, when, and how you are going to vote ahead of time leads to voting success!
Many of you wrote last week to remind me to suggest early, absentee, and mail-in voting. Thank you! For years I had always liked the idea of showing up on election day and voting in the company of my neighbors. Somehow standing in line for hours felt like the cost of being part of this civic display.
Two years ago my husband and I voted early because we were going to be out of town for election day. We were in and out in five minutes, I still felt patriotic, and I still got my “I voted” sticker. Now I’m a convert.
There are three ways you can vote early:
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Early Voting– 34 States and the District of Columbia allow you to vote early in person. 22 of those states and DC also allow weekend early voting. To learn when and where you can vote early in your state-https://www.vote.org/early-voting-calendar/
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Absentee Ballots– All states allow for you to vote by mail or early if you will be out of town on election day. However, 20 states require you have an acceptable excuse. In 27 states you don’t need an excuse, but in all states you will need to request an absentee ballot. You can request an absentee ballot here- https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot/
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Vote by Mail– In 3 states, CO, OR, and WA all eligible voters get a ballot by mail. Some of the other states offer a permanent absentee ballot list: once a voter asks to be added to the list, she/he will automatically receive an absentee ballot for all future elections. Learn more here- http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/absentee-and-early-voting.aspx#early
What does your state allow? Here’s a quick look: https://www.vote.org/early-voting-calendar/. To learn the rules for your state or county check with your local elections office.
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