There is no chance of saying this past year has been anything normal. On top of all the craziness we have all experienced, it is also an election year. Amongst COVID-19, voting has been one of the biggest controversies in 2020. Voting in person and through the mail are two options most Americans have this election year. Early voting started around two weeks in most states across the U.S. Although, some areas don’t have early voting. If your area doesn’t have early voting or mail-in voting, you always have the option to vote on election day.
Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Mississippi, Missouri and Oregon do not have early in-person or absentee ballot voting. This means they are only allowing mail-in voting until election day. Typically, on election day, they are allowing in-person votes at the polls in the states mentioned. If there is any confusion about the differences in voting, here is an easier way to understand the difference to find a way that suits you the best. Early voting can be done in person or mail-in (depending on what state you reside in). Mail-in ballots can be requested online and through different websites. You can also register to vote online if you haven’t done so. After registering to vote, the website will usually offer you a mail-in ballot or give you information on how to vote for this election in your state.
With all the problems America has faced and continues to endure through this election year, there has been a lot of controversy and hysteria surrounding the idea of mail-in ballots. Half the country agrees that mail-in voting is a great way to vote this election and the other half of the country wants everyone to cast their vote at the voting polls. Both ideas are valid and voting is very important, but as USA Today reports, many people are unable to vote at the polls this year since America hasn’t fully recovered from COVID-19.
For the safety of our people, mail-in voting has been approved everywhere but is not President Trump’s favorite idea of voting. President Trump has made it very clear in the past few months that the idea of mail-in ballots and casting a vote through the United States Postal Service sounds like fraud. This hasn’t been able to be proven but the officials in charge of counting votes and receiving ballots are doing everything they can to make sure there is no fraud happening. Another issue arising is that many believe ballots will get lost in the mail. Although this has been speculated and could very much be the case for thousands of Americans, we don’t exactly have a way to tell yet.
With the election coming up Nov. 3, early voting beginning, and mail-in ballots being available nationwide, there are plenty of ways to cast a vote in a way that suits you. Regardless of the issues being speculated surrounding the voting this year, we as a nation can make a change. If you haven’t voted already, you can register for a mail-in ballot or take the time this election day to head over to the voting polls.