Poll of the Day > Vote by Mail general info for all 50 US states

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a33633193/vote-by-mail-states-2020/

See the link for general info for your state and links to request a mail in ballot.

Of note, you are able to request a mail in ballot without needing any sort of excuse or special permission (beyond, "I'm afraid of COVID, so I don't want to vote in person") in all but the following states:
Indiana
Louisiana
Mississippi
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas

It is still possible to do mail in voting in most of those states listed, but there are restrictions (like "only people 65+" or such). Every single state allows mail in voting in at least some instances, and any state besides those 6 allow it for anybody.

Request your mail in ballots ASAP! If you don't receive it by ~ mid-October, call your board of elections to ask where it is. I'd suggest bringing the completed ballot to a local office by hand if possible, so you can give it to an election official yourself and ensure it was received.
Please feel free to post this info in other boards, on other sites, whatever. And add any more useful info below. This is literally the most important election of our lives. Don't procrastinate on this stuff.

I have a feeling this isn't going to go well which is why mailboxes were ordered to be removed and sorting machines were ordered to be dismantled because whether anyone agrees or not, this country or rather certain people in this country just do not want non-White people voting and we all know that's true because we know this from the Voting Rights having to be passed for Black people to vote and since that time certain factions in America have used any underhanded trick that they could to prevent Black people from voting.

At one time prior to Nixon's "War On Drugs", convicted felons who had served their time could vote and when the VRA was passed, that was done away with.

---

PyroBlade1985 posted...

ROTFL! They say that about every election. They said that about LAST election.

Then you can sit this election out, if you feel that way

psa mail in ballots have been a thing for years and havent been an issue until trump made them one because hes scared of losing

---

Almost a million ballots have been returned. For comparison this time in 2016 only about 10k had been returned.

---

I guess Im not doing mail in. Im in Texas...

BUMPED2002 posted...

mailboxes were ordered to be removed

They were taking mailboxes? I mean, I use that for other important stuff, as well...
---

No, I can vote in person early in my state.
---

LinkPizza posted...

...

why are you so unsure of everything you say?

---

DirtBasedSoap posted...

why are you so unsure of everything you say?

Im not unsure... Why would you think that...
---

because... youre... constantly..... trailing off.......

---

DirtBasedSoap posted...

because... youre... constantly..... trailing off.......

Maybe I have a short attention span...
---

LinkPizza posted...

I guess Im not doing mail in. Im in Texas...

They were taking mailboxes? I mean, I use that for other important stuff, as well...

Yes, this has been a huge issue for months. Trump's appointed postmaster general has been destroying mailboxes and mail sorting machines.

---

DirtBasedSoap posted...

psa mail in ballots have been a thing for years and havent been an issue until trump made them one because hes scared of losing

^^^^^^^^^
---

papercup posted...

Yes, this has been a huge issue for months. Trump's appointed postmaster general has been destroying mailboxes and mail sorting machines.

I remember hearing people talk about that a long time ago, but I didnt know they were actually taking and destroying them. Thats pretty ridiculous. People get other things in the mail, as well...
---

LinkPizza posted...

I guess Im not doing mail in. Im in Texas...

That's a shame. Does Texas have early voting, at least?
Please still vote....there's actually a slim chance Texas could flip this year. It's being called a "swing state", even. I mean, it's not as red as people think when you look at the last several state-wide elections...

streamofthesky posted...

That's a shame. Does Texas have early voting, at least?
Please still vote....there's actually a slim chance Texas could flip this year. It's being called a "swing state", even. I mean, it's not as red as people think when you look at the last several state-wide elections...

I actually dont know...
---

Ill physically go to the polls and show my ID like I always do.

DirtBasedSoap posted...

psa mail in ballots have been a thing for years and havent been an issue until trump made them one because hes scared of losing

Have they always been turning up in ditches and dumpsters or is that a new thing?

DirtBasedSoap posted...

psa mail in ballots have been a thing for years and havent been an issue until trump made them one because hes scared of losing

I heard Trump always mailed his ballot in, as well...
---

BeerOnTap posted...

Have they always been turning up in ditches and dumpsters or is that a new thing?

sounds like a new trump thing

---

Bump

Deadlines to request mail in ballots are within a few days for many states

yeah, by all means vote by mail ins liberals, don't do it physically

listen to biden

---

Wanded posted...

yeah, by all means vote by mail ins liberals, don't do it physically

listen to biden

And you have the reading comprehension expected of a Republican.

streamofthesky posted... https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a33633193/vote-by-mail-states-2020/

See the link for general info for your state and links to request a mail in ballot.

Of note, you are able to request a mail in ballot without needing any sort of excuse or special permission (beyond, "I'm afraid of COVID, so I don't want to vote in person") in all but the following states:
Indiana
Louisiana
Mississippi
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas

It is still possible to do mail in voting in most of those states listed, but there are restrictions (like "only people 65+" or such). Every single state allows mail in voting in at least some instances, and any state besides those 6 allow it for anybody.

Request your mail in ballots ASAP! If you don't receive it by ~ mid-October, call your board of elections to ask where it is. I'd suggest bringing the completed ballot to a local office by hand if possible, so you can give it to an election official yourself and ensure it was received.
Please feel free to post this info in other boards, on other sites, whatever. And add any more useful info below. This is literally the most important election of our lives. Don't procrastinate on this stuff.

The point is to be able to hand in the ballot before election day and avoid being around crowds of people. Not that I expect a Republican to understand why being in a packed group of people is dangerous, even now.

nah, why bother? by going out like that you're still risking yourself more than simply staying at home and mailing it.

just mail it

and don't worry about it

in fact don't even think of it again

:3

(post only relevant to lefties)

---

I'm not voting. Both Trump and Biden are piece of shit candidates.


---

Last Week Tonight episode on the election and mail in ballots.
Don't watch if you're not of legal voting age.... For....reasons....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AytDzZ2ecCc

Why is Trump the way he is? He acts like he has to win. Which is pretty dumb. If he wins by mail, hell either praise the mail in voting, or say he still won overcoming the same voting process he uses. And if he loses, hell say it was only because the mail in voting was rigged. Whats that goobers problem?
---

streamofthesky posted...

Then you can sit this election out, if you feel that way

What kind of attitude is this?

---

BeerOnTap posted...

Have they always been turning up in ditches and dumpsters or is that a new thing?

What he's failing to understand due to getting ascertaining his understanding of this subject from wapo articles is that absentee ballots have a set procedure and chain of custody that this new system of universal mail in ballots doesnt have. And that's one of several reasons we're seeing all the issues that we're having with this right now, none the least because of what is an extremely incompetent USPS

Got our ballots in the mail today.

Need to call and ask about handing them off in person. There's deposit boxes for them much closer to where I live, but I'll make the drive if they're willing to check the ballot for any possible errors.

I think the signature issue in particular is ripe for abuse by Republicans looking to toss out as many ballots as possible. Like, if it doesn't exactly match what they have on record (presumably from driver's license), it can get tossed and you might never find out.

I'm just doing in-person, but I suspect that fraud may have already occurred regarding my ballot since I got a text from a politician that talked about the fact that I requested an absentee ballot when I did nothing of the sort (although I have the form to request one still sitting on my table).

Honestly, even if I wasn't concerned about the potential for fraud, the reject rate on mail-in ballots is high as well. When I vote, I like for my vote to count, even though I live in a state where my vote really doesn't count at the national level because it'll always go left in the presidency, in the senate (the closest we got to it being non-left was when Lieberman ran as an independent because that asshole Lamont beat him in the primaries, and trounced Lamont in the general election -- the first of Lamont's many losses before CT voters all simultaneously hit their heads one day and voted that jackass in as governor).


---

Zeus posted...

I'm just doing in-person, but I suspect that fraud may have already occurred regarding my ballot since I got a text from a politician that talked about the fact that I requested an absentee ballot when I did nothing of the sort (although I have the form to request one still sitting on my table).

That doesn't sound like an actual ballot fraud issue, that sounds like some sort of scam. A "politician" isn't in charge of handing out ballots or being notified of people receiving them.
When you get a call from "Microsoft", do you think it's actually them calling you, too?

Honestly, even if I wasn't concerned about the potential for fraud, the reject rate on mail-in ballots is high as well. When I vote, I like for my vote to count

Same. That's my only real concern. Lots of bs reasons to "disqualify" a mail in ballot if the ones in power are so inclined to be picky...
I know every state is slightly different for mail in ballot instructions, but it'd be damn useful to have a literal how to video guide for each state on how to fill them out... Like I said, the signatures not matching in particular is fucking horse shit
That's why I'll take a half hour drive to an elections office in the middle of a day even if I have to take time out of work, over a 5 min drive to the nearest drop box, if it means I can ensure my ballot isn't getting tossed.

Deadlines have either already passed or end by this upcoming week, depending on state.
Request a mail in ballot if you don't want to vote in person w/ a crowd.
Hand it back in yourself (not through the mail) to make sure it's received.
Or at least use ballot drop off boxes. They're supposed to be secure, and ballots are picked up regularly from them (usually daily), without going through the mail system.

If you requested a ballot already and don't receive it this week, start calling/contacting about where it is.

We submitted our ballots today, opted to just drop it in a drop off box.

Should be able to track its status online, so in case something goes awry there will be plenty of time to find out and fill out a new ballot.

Again, get this done NOW, don't wait.

Our mail in ballots were received, just need to keep checking online to make sure they were accepted.

Get them in early so you have time before election day to find out if they were actually counted.

Voting in-person day of. Could've requested a vote by mail by decided against it. My state is shattering previous vote by mail records though

---

I finished my sample ballot last night, had to research a number of props, who's in support of them and what not

Now I gotta fill in the actual ballot and wait for the satellite office to open at the end of the month so I can securely drop it off

---

OrangeDawn posted...

Voting in-person day of. Could've requested a vote by mail by decided against it. My state is shattering previous vote by mail records though

I will say (though at this point it's probably too late to request mail in if you haven't already), it pays to research WHEN your state intends to count the mail in ballots.
Mine is doing it as they come in, so it's fine.

Some ass backwards ones are refusing to begin the counting until election day or close to it. So if your ballot has a supposed problem and is discarded, you'll likely not have time to find out and go vote in person. If you live in such a state, it might be better to not do the mail in ballot and just vote in person; especially if early voting is available.
Especially if you live in a Republican controlled state, I'd be reasonably paranoid about those in charge trying their hardest to suppress mail in vote tallies.

streamofthesky posted...

I will say (though at this point it's probably too late to request mail in if you haven't already), it pays to research WHEN your state intends to count the mail in ballots.
Mine is doing it as they come in, so it's fine.

Some ass backwards ones are refusing to begin the counting until election day or close to it. So if your ballot has a supposed problem and is discarded, you'll likely not have time to find out and go vote in person. If you live in such a state, it might be better to not do the mail in ballot and just vote in person; especially if early voting is available.
Especially if you live in a Republican controlled state, I'd be reasonably paranoid about those in charge trying their hardest to suppress mail in vote tallies.

Agreed. I know of many states that count early votes/mail-in votes last which nicely plays into narratives of rigged voting claims, as outlandish and nonsensical as those claims are. I'm not entirely sure when my state counts early votes but my state's been reliably blue for decades so it never really gets any increased scrutiny on how long vote counting takes.

---

OrangeDawn posted...

Voting in-person day of.

Same. I just have to see which one I'm going to go to. There are 22 places for me to vote in my town. 18 of them are churches, so it'll probably be a church...
---

Our ballots were accepted. Feels good to know it's done.

I found the following. Not sure how accurate it is, but it gives an overview of when each state begins counting mail in ballots:

https://ballotpedia.org/When_states_can_begin_processing_and_counting_absentee/mail-in_ballots,_2020

In 13 states, statutes or 2020-specific rules allow for absentee/mail-in counting to begin before Election Day:
Arizona
Colorado
Delaware
Florida
Hawaii
Maryland
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
North Carolina
Oregon
Vermont

In another six states, statutes either do not specify when ballot counting can begin or leave the decision to the discretion of local officials:
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Ohio
Oklahoma
Utah

The remaining states and the District of Columbia allow ballot counting to begin either during the day on Election Day or after polls close. See the table below for more detailed information.

That's the general overview. The table below it has specific info and references for each state, so check that for your state.
If your state does not count ballots until election day, strongly consider voting in person instead, or else if they reject your ballot you'll probably not have enough warning to cast a new ballot and get screwed.

At least Florida (very important swing state) has begun counting them already, along w/ a few other swing states.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or_rpVpSz_M

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/10/21/voter-turnout-election-could-reach-highest-rate-more-than-century/3712184001/

With less than two weeks before Election Day, voter turnout nationally has reached 30% of the overall 138.8 million people who voted four years ago. For the first time in election history, more people are expected to vote early than on Election Day.
McDonald, who tracks early voting numbers by the minute, said it's possible 85 million people could vote before Election Day and perhaps 150 million will vote in total. Ten times more mail ballots have been returned than at this point in 2016 and twice as many people have voted in-person.

Already voted early on Friday.

---

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/man-charged-in-burning-of-ballot-box-boston-police-say/ar-BB1apslS?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=OEMDHP15

Remember, if you do mail in voting, get it in early and check the status online, to make sure before it's too late that your vote was received and accepted.
You never know what kind of fucking bull shit could happen. Lots of psychos out there...

Hopefully he gets a long stay in prison.

https://www.npr.org/2020/10/26/927803214/62-million-and-counting-americans-are-breaking-early-voting-records

With one week still remaining until Election Day, Americans have already cast a record-breaking 66 million early ballots, putting the 2020 election on track for historic levels of voter turnout.
That's some 19 million more pre-election votes than were cast in the 2016 election, according to the U.S. Elections Project, a turnout-tracking database run by University of Florida professor Michael McDonald.
"It's good news, because we were very much concerned about how it would be possible to conduct an election during a pandemic," he said, citing concerns that mail-in ballots would be returned by voters en masse at the conclusion of the early voting period, overwhelming election officials. "Instead, what appears to be happening is people are voting earlier and spreading out the workload for election officials."

:D
It's going so smoothly, it's almost like this is how it should be every election, and not just this year due to a pandemic forcing a certain party to relent on allowing more early voting and mail in ballots....

In 2019, McDonald predicted that 150 million people would vote in 2020's general election, which would be a turnout rate of about 65% the highest since 1908.
But he's going back to the drawing board.
"I have increasingly been confident that 150 [million] is probably a lowball estimate," he said Monday. "I think by the end of the week I'll be upping that forecast."

In Texas, for example, 7.8 million early votes had been cast as of Tuesday morning, marking 87% of the state's total votes in 2016.
Montana, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia have also reached 67% or more of their 2016 vote totals.

A surge in youth voters
People ages 18 to 29 are turning out to vote early in a big way.
According to data from the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, or CIRCLE, a research center at Tufts University, the numbers of young people voting early have skyrocketed, particularly in states that will be critical for Biden and Trump to win, such as Michigan, Florida and North Carolina.
As of Oct. 21, 257,720 young voters in Florida had voted, according to CIRCLE. That's nearly 214,000 more than had voted at that time in 2016.
In Texas, almost 500,000 18- to 29-year-olds had cast their ballots by Oct. 21. However, there isn't data from 2016 with which to compare youth turnout.
Young people could wield significant political power: Millennials and some members of Generation Zmake up 37% of eligible voters, roughly the same share of the electorate that baby boomers and older voters ("pre-boomers") make up, according to census data analyzed by the Brookings Institution.
For decades, youth voters have showed up to the polls at relatively low rates, a statistic voter education groups have been working to change this year.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/10/31/voting-2020-news-updates-texas-voter-numbers-covid-florida-poll/6069630002/

With three days until Election Day, more than 90 million people have already voted more than two-thirds of the total votes counted in the 2016 general election, according to Michael McDonald, a professor at the University of Florida who runs the U.S. Elections Project.
"The numbers are stunning," McDonald said in an update on his website this week. "The pace of some states' early voting is such that with almost certainty states will begin surpassing their total 2016 total vote this week."
One such voter who talked to USA TODAY this week: Barbara Duvall who at age 99 survived COVID-19, pneumonia and five days in the hospital. She voted for the very first time last week.
"I guess I didn't have time before because of my kids, my husband and our family. I stayed with them," she said. "I decided this time that I wanted the right man in there."

Looking good! 90 million votes ALREADY cast! It's a shame that the primary motivator for people to vote is anger. But this year, the majority of the country is very, VERY angry! And for damn good reason. Brazenly stealing a 2nd Supreme Court pick so they can end abortion and Obamacare then literally immediately afterwards disbanding the Senate till after the election w/o passing a 2nd stimulus to actually help people was a pretty fucking stupid move, a true nail in the coffin on 4 years of terror and tyranny.

#EndTheNightmare

(if you haven't voted yet though, still do so. Take nothing for granted. Make the results so fucking lopsided and blatant that there's no room for Trump and the GOP to try and rhetorically weasel their way out of it)

Time is up.
If you didn't early vote or drop off an absentee ballot, go out and vote tomorrow!
Vote for the rule of law, if nothing else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d22Y7p3tER0