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Ladue Publications

Ladue High School's student news site

Ladue Publications

Ladue High School's student news site

Ladue Publications

Voting During the Pandemic

Voting+During+the+Pandemic

The general election for the United States will be held on November 3rd, 2020. However, Covid-19 is disrupting the usual process of in-person voting. In order to avoid the potential spread of the virus, states have prepared methods for voters to cast their ballots without visiting a traditional polling place. 

When citizens are unable to be physically present at polls, they go through the process of absentee voting. A significant fraction of voters have relied on absentee voting throughout previous years. However, its popularity this year is rising as many voters are turning to this option in order to avoid the crowds at polling places. Most states have relaxed their requirements for requesting an absentee ballot, allowing fear of the virus as a valid reason to request one.

So.. What Are the Options for Voting?

  • Absentee
    • A registered voter must request an absentee ballot through their state government. 
    • State officials can reject absentee ballots if they are improperly filled out or contain any false information.
    • Qualifications:
    • Difficulty of process:
  • No Excuse Absentee
    • A registered voter doesn’t have to give a reason for why they can’t be at their polling location on Election Day, and can simply request a ballot be sent to their address
    • Qualifications:
  • Mail In 
    • Registered voters automatically receive a mail ballot
    • The only states this is in place for are: Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, and Hawaii

What’s the Difference? 

Traditionally..

  • Voters visit a polling place any time from 6am to 7pm. 
  • They are then assigned a private spot, where they receive their ballots and cast their vote.

With Absentee Voting..

  • Voters receive their ballot in the mail 42 days before the election (in MO). They cast their votes, and then can either

1) Send the envelope back to the election authority to be processed. OR 2) Drop it off at their local Board of Elections building.

The Process

  1. Register to vote, either through a voter registration form or online.
  2. Write, call, or go online and provide your name and address to request an absentee ballot from your local election authority. 
  3. A ballot and a security envelope is then sent to your home address. 
  4. Once received, sign the outside of the second envelope to certify that you’re a registered voter. 

Voting in Missouri: What you need to know

  1. The last date to register is Wednesday, October 7th, 2020. 
  2. Absentee voting in Missouri begins Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020.
  3. All voters may vote absentee with a notarization of the ballot envelope
    1. At-risk categories for COVID-19 are eligible to vote absentee by mail WITHOUT getting the envelope notarized.
  4. Voters can request absentee ballots from their local election authority in person, by mail, by fax or by e-mail. 
  5. Second degree relatives (spouse, parents and children) may complete an absentee ballot application on behalf of the voter, but it must be done in person.
  6. Absentee ballot requests must be received by the election authority no later than the 5:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday prior to the election. 
  7. Voters requesting an absentee ballot are required to submit a copy of their personal identification or provide a copy with their registration application. 

Sites for You

  1. vote411.org/missouri
  2. sos.mo.gov
  3. vote.org
  4. usa.gov

Find more about this on Instagram, at @civicasians !

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