The first time I voted by mail, I felt like I was breaking an old tradition.
Voting on Election Day was special. It meant something to see who else wore their “I Voted” sticker at the coffee shop, at work, and in line at the grocery store. The ballot stub mattered too. I’d check to see which number I was for that location to gauge what turnout might be like in my precinct.
Then 2020 happened, and that tradition changed. Mail ballots were the safest way to vote in a pandemic, and plenty of us who had never used one learned how. I started using drop boxes. I let my superstitions get the best of me and wrote off a particular drop box as cursed if Democrats did badly in that election.
Now my new tradition looks like this: my parents and I fill out our ballots together at the kitchen table, drive them to the drop box and take a photo there. It now feels even more special than the old way.
And even though I could go back to voting on Election Day, I probably won’t.
I usually vote within the first couple of weeks in October. (As long as I don’t have a contentious primary on the ballot.)
A tradition update with good reason
This new tradition is important for several reasons.
First, a new tradition is still a tradition. I’d rather build something that lasts than see 2020 as the year I broke my tradition.
I also like knowing my ballot is in while there’s still time to fix the envelope if something is wrong. A missing signature, or one that doesn’t match what the county has on file, can get a mail ballot set aside.
Many states will contact you and give you a window to fix it. This is called ballot curing, and dozens of races have been won through ballot-curing phone banks, but you can avoid all that by tracking your ballot online yourself to make sure it’s not only received but also counted.
And I like not having to panic that my ballot won’t get in on time. Once I get the confirmation, I’m done. No refreshing the tracker the night before Election Day. No wondering about the mail.
I like being able to help organizers and volunteers focus on people who are on the fence. In most states, campaigns can see who has already returned a ballot, so once mine is in, I’m taken off their call, text, and door-knocking lists. Campaigns never have enough money or volunteers. If we vote early, the remaining money can go toward sending mailers to undecided voters and ads in districts where Democrats are outnumbered. Every early ballot is one less door a volunteer has to knock on twice.
I’m also chronically ill, which means feeling fine one day tells me nothing about the next. If I wait till the last minute, will I feel well enough to go to the polling place? I can’t guarantee that. I also can’t guarantee anything Mother Nature might do. Earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, and so much more are all possibilities for me (thank you, climate crisis). You never know what the weather will be like on Election Day.
Because of my illness, I can’t stand in long lines. Working people face the same problem. Election Day isn’t a national holiday, so if the line is a couple of hours long, many people will have to leave without voting. Parents with kids to pick up. Shift workers. Anyone who needs a ride. We don’t want that. There’s no line to put your ballot in the drop box, and the early voting line will likely be shorter than the Election Day line.
Finally, every warning I’ve seen about ICE agents or the National Guard showing up at polling places focuses on Election Day. Most polling places will not have ICE or the National Guard on Election Day, if at all (Leaders from Homeland Security and the US Armed Forces say they have no plans to do so). The threat may be the whole point.
Either way, the law is on our side. Federal law makes it a crime to intimidate voters, and it bars federal officials from stationing troops or armed men at polling places. If anyone tries to scare you away from voting, call the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.
But I don’t wanna risk it. I don’t want to be there on Election Day if they’re there too. It’s scary to think about running into them, even though I have the right to vote.
Vote early if you can
So I implore you: vote early. If you have a mail ballot, drop it at an official drop box or your local election office. With Election Day less than two weeks away and the Postal Service still running slow, mailing it now is a gamble. Or vote early in person. Check your state’s deadlines and find drop box and early voting locations at vote.org or voterresource.org/ariella.
I know this isn’t possible everywhere. A few states still offer little or no early voting. If yours does, find a day that works for you and vote before November 3rd. I promise it makes a difference. It also buys you peace of mind.
Remember, your vote is your voice is your superpower, but only when you use it!
Create a new tradition. Find a way to make it special. Bring your family, neighbors, or friends.
Wear the sticker.
Take the photo.
