Vote
Voting has long been a controversial topic in the United States because it is supposed to be one of the most important rights which is protected and provided by the U.S. constitution for all of its eligible citizens. This year it comes with more controversy given the current political climate and the expected increase in vote by mail. The issue with vote by mail is based on the safety of voters and poll workers and the integrity of the counts. Covid-19 has complicated voting day(as well as everything else in life) and how people will complete their civic duties and corruption has jeopardized whether those who do fulfill their duty will have their contribution count. Many people plan to request, complete, and mail in their completed ballots to remain safe and to keep others safe. To curb the influx of ballots, due to increased votes cast, the current administration has taken steps to complicate this process and even change the numbers by delivering ballots in an untimely manner, if at all. Vote by mail is indeed a right voters have and it can actually be viewed as a tool to provide more informed and active voters in this and (hopefully) future year's election.
This year I am looking forward to receiving my ballot in the mail after September 24th (the day ballots start being mailed in my state). I see this as an opportunity to make better voting decisions once I receive my ballot. Typically when I vote in person I do not look up all of the candidates for all of the active races, so there are many people on my ballot for whom I vote but do not know their platform. These are typically my down ballot votes in which I stick to a certain party instead of leaving any of the votes blank. I recognize that casting blind votes is not the best way to proceed and does not make me an informed and active participant in the voting process. This practice upholds the current system and all of its flaws because this method of voting ends up being to the benefit of the incumbents and those with name recognition and really no one else. Many times the ballots highlight the incumbent so when the voter gets to that race they might think or say things like, "if it ain't broke don't try to fix it" and vote for the person who currently holds the position. This is how you can end up with politicians at every level be in power for decades.
Another benefit about being at home is there is less pressure. Some people feel anxiety or even tension when they vote in person. Maybe they are feeling pressure to vote for certain candidates or to hurry and vote because there are people waiting. Either way there are different dynamics which can be influential when voting in person. In some places due to voter suppression practices people have to wait for upwards of eight or more hours to cast their vote. Imagine the emotions one feels while waiting in line and how much that is compounded by fatigue once you finally get to your ballot. At home or in an unrestricted time/place these issues can be eliminated and one can take his or her time while voting. Of course the ballot needs to returned in a timely manner and it is encouraged to be returned well before the deadline to allow time for delivery. This being considered, just remember, just because you receive the ballot on Monday does not mean it has to be in the mail the next day. If you need three days or so to research all of the people in the races then there is no problem taking that time(as long as you are not going to miss the deadline). The bottom line is to vote and be an informed voter.
Voting is easy peasy for those who are eligible voters and not in states where there is an active voter suppression campaign. The steps are:
Register.
Research the candidates.
Vote(by completing and turning in the ballot).
The ease of completing these steps depend on location and the access just like everything else in the U.S. Voter suppression is real so please be informed of the loops and hoops that may be added to complicate the process> DO NOT let your vote be stifled. #Vote #ElectionDay2020
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