Are you unsure about your best option for voting in the upcoming election?
As caregivers, there are special considerations to take into account before making a voting plan. Here are some things to consider before deciding your best voting option:
- Am I immunocompromised? YES ▢ NO ▢
- Do I live with or provide care for someone who is immunocompromised? YES ▢ NO ▢
- Do I provide care for someone who lives far from my own polling location? YES ▢ NO ▢
- Am I the only person providing care for a young child, a person with a disability or an older adult? YES ▢ NO ▢
- Do I have children and am I unable to arrange childcare for them for more than 3 hours? YES ▢ NO ▢
- Do I work on election day and cannot take time off to go to my polling location to vote?
YES ▢ NO ▢
- Am I not able or willing to stand more than 3 hours in line to vote? YES ▢ NO ▢
- Can I not leave the person I care for alone for more than an hour? YES ▢ NO ▢
If you answer YES to one or more of these questions, your best options are to vote by mail or to vote early in person.
How do I vote by mail?
In response to COVID-19, many states have changed the process for requesting an absentee ballot. Some states, like California and Colorado, automatically send absentee ballots to registered voters.Other states like, Wisconsin and North Carolina, require voters to request a ballot. Other states, like Alabama and New York, require voters to provide an excuse to request an absentee ballot.
Some states already began to send absentee ballots to voters and many have deadlines to request one.
Make sure you register and request your ballot before your state’s deadline and with enough time to mail your ballot before election day.
Some states allow folks to return their absentee ballots in person at designated drop-off mailboxes.
Click here to learn more about how to vote by mail in your state.
How do I vote early?
Many states have instituted a period of time ahead of the Nov 3 election when voters can vote early. Some states will begin as early as mid-September. If your state does not have same-day voter registration, please make sure you check your voter registration status ahead of the election, and register by the deadline, if necessary.
This article has a list of states and when early voting begins in each.
Refer to the in-person voting checklist if you choose to vote early.