Research Notes .05

A special voting edition of the newsletter

Oct 29, 2020

Hello!

Although the newsletter has not officially kicked off its bi-weekly schedule, I thought it might be a good idea to send something out this month, before we get to the most important day of the year for America - Election Day! Voting has already begun, in full force but I hope that if you have yet to cast your ballot, this preview issue will help you make your vote count. Thank you for reading and, if you like this newsletter please share it with a friend!

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Tracking your vote

Did you know that if you cast your ballot through the absentee, mail-in system, you can track your vote from start to finish in 46 States? This year, due to the pandemic, there are so many more people opting to vote in this manner, and knowing that your ballot made it into the system is paramount! So, once you drop off or mail in your ballot, head over here to this CNET article to find your State and track your ballot. Each State has different ways to track and you can have peace of mind knowing that your ballot was not lost or disqualified. (Sorry, MO, IL, IN, and MS - maybe next time?)

Voting Rights

If you opt to vote in person, either early or on 3 November, be sure to review this ACLU page before heading to the polls. In fact, if you have a smartphone or device that you will be carrying with you to the polls, be sure to bookmark this page in case you need to reference it during your visit. Voter suppression has been a major issue since the beginning of the franchise for voters other than White, affluent, males, so the rest of us have to be sure that our best interests are being served at the polls.

At the Polls

If you decide to wait until 3 November to cast your ballot, here are a few tips that could be useful for voting on Election day, proper.

Bring a mask, a chair, and some water

If the early voting lines are any indication, voting on 3 November might actually be more of a marathon than a sprint, so be sure to bring a seat and some sustenance. Many polling places have trucks that are offering items for sale and some locations are even giving food and beverages out to those waiting in the long lines for free. This is great, if you are at one of those places, but I wouldn’t take any chances. Don’t let this deter you though, just come prepared.

If you live in a cold weather location, also be sure to wear warm clothes. And also, for the love of all the people, PLEASE WEAR A MASK. Even if you are standing in line, outside, 6 feet apart, you can still be in proximity to others who could be sick. Wearing a mask is the only way to protect yourself from those who are not doing the same. And bonus - the mask will also protect you from the common cold and the regular old flu!

Voting shouldn’t be this difficult, the only way forward is to vote people into office who will protect us. Voting might be hard this year, as it has been for some folks in America for many many years, but it is also essential. You know that though. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have read this far down the newsletter!

Thank you for reading!

The first full issue of the newsletter will be in your inbox at the beginning of December. Until then, please have a safe November and remember to WEAR THAT MASK!

Peace, Chantale (aka hippiegrrl)

Further curated links:

Plan Your Vote - this site has all kinds of great information about planning your vote. Bonus (creepy and cool) - if you are logged in through your cable subscription it will give you information for your State specifically, without searching.
Decision 2020 - the latest updates on the election from NBC News (no - they are not a sponsor - I just really enjoy their coverage)

Ways to participate:

Read: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Give: ACLU
Sign: Movement for Black Lives
Do: VOTE!

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