How to vote in your primary election while you stay indoors
In some US states, absentee voting is reserved for people who will be out of town on election day, and those who physically can’t get to their polling station. The spread of the novel coronavirus might drastically change those policies in many states in the coming months, expanding them to include people who would rather vote by mail to avoid the risk of contracting the virus by voting in person.
A recent bill (called The Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020), proposed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), wants to make voting by mail a right for all Americans under moments of crisis, such as the time we’re currently facing with the coronavirus. It aims to make absentee voting allowed in states where restrictions are usually placed on citizens, per an analysis at Vox.
Given the fast-changing nature of things relating to the virus and its impact on basically everything, it’s tough to say definitively if, when the time to vote in your next election comes around, your state will accept votes by mail from all voters. However, if you’re keen on having your voice heard in the upcoming election, and want to avoid crowded polling stations, you may want to at least try to apply for an absentee ballot.
First, find out when your state’s primary election is, then proceed with the steps below.
Ensure that you are eligible for absentee voting
As was mentioned before, some states have rules that don’t allow just anyone to vote via an absentee ballot. It’s possible that you may not even be able to apply for a ballot in those states. However, if you have an upcoming primary election, check your state’s board of elections website for the latest updates regarding the status of absentee voting.
Get your absentee voter application
Visit vote.org, a nonprofit organization that aggregates important information related to voting and elections for every US state. Click the third option from the top, which says “Get Your Absentee Ballot.”
It will ask you to fill in some basic contact information, as well as some other optional information relating to your party affiliation that you don’t have to enter if you don’t feel comfortable doing so. After that, find the state county that you reside in, and proceed.
Fill out the application
You’ll then receive an email from vote.org that contains your application for an absentee ballot. It provides some simple instructions for completing it, which — other than filling in all of the blanks — includes signing and dating it.
Note the submission deadline
Your application will list the critical deadlines you’ll need to heed if you want to ensure that your local board of elections receives it in time for you to be able to vote by mail. Again, in the event that the coronavirus impacts your primary election, the date range could change, so check vote.org for the latest information for your state.
Submit the application
Due to the risk of contracting or spreading coronavirus, you can’t drop off the application in person. When mailing it, just make sure that you put the mailing address of your local board of elections (as it appears on your absentee ballot application) on the envelope.
Alternatively, you can call your local board of elections and get permission to submit it via email. This method is, obviously, faster and easier than mailing, and if you’re cutting it close with the deadline, this could be your only choice.
In some US states, absentee voting is reserved for people who will be out of town on election day, and those who physically can’t get to their polling station. The spread of the novel coronavirus might drastically change those policies in many states in the coming months, expanding them to…
