What you need to know about mail-in votes, online ballots, polling places
On Nov. 3, with the country still reeling from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, record numbers of Americans are expected to vote by mail to avoid the crowds at their local polling places. For those who prefer to cast their ballot in person, however, states will allow that too, but voters should expect confusion about the location of polling places, long lines and social distancing.
Most states already allow mail-in voting, and in 2016 nearly a quarter of ballots were cast by mail. But this year a handful of states are taking additional steps to make it easier to use a mail-in ballot to vote this fall.
The process started this spring with primary elections, when states began adjusting the way people could safely cast their vote, either in person or by mail. So far, the results have been mixed.
In Georgia, for example, a shortage of poll workers, new polling procedures and a surge in mail-in votes created delays in primary voting. Likewise, in Pennsylvania, election officials were still counting votes a week after its June 2 primary, which saw an increase in mail-in ballots and an unexpected jump in votes cast at polling stations. And in New York's recent primary, with more than 10 times the number of mail-in ballots received over recent elections, election officials are still counting absentee ballots six weeks after the election, the New York Times reported.
To head off bigger problems in November, many states are urging eligible voters to sign up now for mail-in ballots alongside other plans to hold safe elections. Here's how states are preparing for the uncertainties of voting this fall. To register to vote in your state, head to the federal government's voting website to find out how to register and check your registration status.
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/voting-during-the-2020-election-what-you-need-to-know-about-mail-in-votes-online-ballots-polling-place/?ftag=CAD3c77551&bhid=24447454298893839703959737945916&mid=12977130&cid=534320049
