Voting is starting! NOW!

Everything you need to know

Delaware and Kentucky may mail ballots 60 days prior to the election (which was last week) and Pennsylvania is allowed to send them starting today. North Carolina would have sent their mail-in ballots last week, but worm brain sued, won, and therefore the state needs to have all the ballots reprinted and that will take some time.

Here in Pennsylvania, most counties SUCK at sending out the ballots – some counties won’t send until some time in October. Don’t get me started. In addition, the State Supreme Court has overturned the Commonwealth Court finding that ballots COULD be accepted if the date on the outside envelope was wrong or missing. Therefore, the envelope information (all of it, including the date) needs to be correct.

In Pennsylvania, in Florida, and in many other states, due to the commitment of the Rethuglicans to disenfranchise voters, many people will need to “cure” their ballots. That means making corrections (like the date on the envelope) for their ballot to be counted. YOU CAN HELP VOTERS CURE BALLOTS NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE. Click this link for information.

If you want to see a list of when each state can send mail-in ballots, the list is here.

If you are not registered (yeah, I know you are) but if you KNOW someone who isn’t registered, or, for example, moved and needs to re-register at their new address, here is a list of the last dates that online registration is accepted.

Remember! If you are planning on voting by mail, the US Postal Service CANNOT BE TRUSTED to get your ballot to Voter Services by the deadline. (FU Louis DeJoy.) THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM NATIONWIDE. It is part of the ongoing policy of Rethuglicans to disenfranchise voters. (Again, biggest possible FU to Louis DeJoy.)

Therefore, if you must mail your ballot, do so as early as possible, or, better yet, drop your ballot in a drop-box. In some states, you can bring your ballot to your local Voter Services office prior to Election Day. In other states, you can vote early in person. In most states, you can bring your mail-in ballot to your specified polling place on Election Day, have it voided, and then vote in person on Election Day. If you are planning on voting a mail-in ballot in person on Election Day, DO NOT OPEN IT – bring it as you received it through the mail.

If you will be voting from overseas, or know someone who is, remember that while there is a grace period for the ballots to arrive, the US POSTAL SERVICE CANNOT BE TRUSTED. Therefore, let’s pretend you have a child who will vote, and who is on a year abroad. Have them FedEx the ballot (signed and sealed) to you, and then you can mail it. Remember, in some states, like Pennsylvania, it is illegal to drop someone else’s ballot in a drop-box, unless you are a designated agent. The voter will need to fill out the form and give it to you. While illegal, if someone dropped someone else’s ballot in a drop-box, there is a huge probability that they would not get caught since one does not need to show ID to drop off a single ballot. You would be in BIG TROUBLE if you tried to drop, say, two ballots.

If you have a kid at college domestically, they may vote locally, or they may vote in their home state. There are a lot of considerations, but here are some guidelines.

Some states try to restrict college students from using their school address. There’s a case about that right now in North Carolina.

Assuming your kid can legally vote in either state: pick the state where their vote will have the most impact. For example, if your kid’s home address is in Florida, and they’ll be attending school in New York, they should vote in Florida. If your kid’s home address is in California, and they are attending school in Pennsylvania, they should vote in Pennsylvania. You get the idea. If they live in a swing state and attend school in a different swing state, flip a coin, or more rationally, have them vote wherever is more convenient.

No offense to college kids, but it’s been my experience that they often do not use the US Mule, do not own stamps, and do not know where to buy stamps. Therefore, make sure they have stamps if they are voting by mail. Don’t overlook paying for them to FedEx you their ballot and using the processes detailed above.

I believe that the information in this post is important. As you probably know, my grandmother went to jail twice in the 19-teens as a suffragette so that we women can vote today. (She was a rabbi’s wife, so it was extra extraordinary for her to have done what she did.) Therefore, I’m personally requesting that you share this information with other people. At the bottom of every post is the bar below. PLEASE share this to either a college kid, or someone who will be voting from overseas, or a group to which you belong. It would restore my faith in humanity if there was a comment saying, “Hey, I’m a college kid and I DO know where to buy stamps.” More likely - it will help remind someone to change their registration address, or help cure ballots, or get their ballot in on time. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration in this matter.