You Can Mail Your Newsletter Without Using USPS
In the months leading up to the 2020 elections, the US Postal Service has become another political battleground . The main postal services, which many Americans rely on, have been criticized and threatened with funding cuts, even as the president tries to question the veracity of the mail-order vote – all within a year, when many may feel that the vote is unsafe. Human. With only a month left before the elections, postal operations are still in disarray. The USPS warned last month that there will not be enough time to return and count the votes between the distribution of ballots to voters and deadlines on election day in some states. Fortunately, there are several ways to ensure that your ballot is delivered on time, no matter what happens to the USPS.
Vote early
Whether you plan to vote in person or by mail, make a plan now. Check your state’s deadlines for requesting and submitting absentee ballots and make sure your voter registration is up to date. In some states , mail-order ballots must be requested 25 days before an election , so don’t waste your time.
Of course, just because you are requesting your ballot paper now does not mean you will receive it immediately, which is why the USPS is concerned about shortening processing times. If you haven’t already done so, request your newsletter as soon as possible, and then use one of the options below to send it in a way that reduces the burden on your postal service.
If you are healthy and at a low risk of contracting COVID-19, and your state offers early personal voting , you might consider going to polls (and following very specific safety guidelines ) instead of voting by mail. Queues are often shorter during early voting periods, especially if you arrive outside office hours.
Go straight to the ballot box
Nearly all states accept ballots by mail from the county clerk or electoral commission offices ( here are some resources to find yours ), so you can manually deliver the ballot before and before the end of Election Day. This is the safest option for the largest number of people, and even if your county office doesn’t get in the way, your efforts will be worth it to get your vote counted.
In addition, 11 states offer ballot boxes in some or all counties. They are monitored and emptied by district or election officials, not the USPS. Five of the 11 states are pre-pandemic postal universal states (Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington), as well as Arizona, California, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and New Mexico.
If your state is not on this list, contact your state or district electoral office to see if you have a drop-down option for this tumultuous electoral cycle. In New Jersey, for example, all counties were required to install at least 10 secure ballot boxes in the November general election.
Drop your ballot at your polling station
According to the National Conference of Legislative Assemblies of states , 11 states plus the District of Columbia allow voters to cast ballots in the polling station in their district or during early voting or on election day. These states are Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
If you live in New Hampshire or Vermont, you can deliver your ballot to the polling station at your designated polling station. New Jersey will also accept mailed ballots at polling stations designated by voters.
Again, check with your local election officials if this option is available.
Help deliver ballots
This is a bit tricky, as many states have strict rules about who is allowed to process absentee ballots other than the voters whose names are on the envelope. If you have family members or neighbors who can’t get to the ballot box, you can deliver their ballot for them so they don’t have to rely on the mail.
Before picking up someone else’s ballot, check your state’s rules on this table .
Follow your newsletter
Regardless of how you mail your ballot, you can track its progress to ensure your vote is counted. About half of all states have a ballot tracking system of some kind .
This piece has been updated to include New Jersey on the list of states that are implementing ballot boxes and polling station dropouts for the 2020 general election, as well as to provide updated context and a new headline image.