2020 has been full of changes to our usual routines, and that goes for voting as much as any other process. It’s important that we show up to support one another help our country vote. Taproot Foundation was built on the principles of service, volunteering for the public good, and civic engagement. And what’s the highest form of civic engagement in the U.S.? Voting!
We asked members of the Taproot team (or Roots, as we call ourselves) to share their suggestions for voter resources, registration, and education. It’s essential to look up the voting regulations where you live because rules can vary between states and districts, but we wanted to share what we’ve learned in case it could help you make your own plan to vote!
Here are our tips for planning to vote this year:
- “Provisional ballots” are the magic words to use if poll workers tell you there are any problems with your eligibility or registration. Don’t leave! They should offer it to you, but if they don’t, ask for a provisional ballot.” – Joshua Groll, Customer Success Manager, Taproot Plus
- “I just made my plan to vote by mail! I submitted an updated registration form, and once it was approved, I was able to register to vote by mail online. I love voting by mail because then I don’t have to worry about long lines on election day, and I can check voting off my mental to-do list early.” – Melissa McElroy, Strategic Partnerships Associate
- “Work with family members or friends to make a voting plan in advance and hold yourselves accountable to it! Go to your polling place together to so waiting in line is a little more fun or make applying to vote by mail an activity at your next virtual happy hour.” – Kimberly Swartz, Marketing and Communications Manager
- “Do research on the candidates before you go to the polls or fill out your absentee ballot. I like to read news articles about the candidate and campaign, read the campaign’s platform, and check which organizations or people I respect have endorsed them. I usually write it down on a sticky note so I have it handy when I vote. This also includes flipping the ballot and making sure to research and vote on any of the propositions that are on the ballot as well!!” – Julia Chung, Senior Associate Consultant
- “I plan to take advantage of early in-person voting, it’s a great way to ensure your vote is counted correctly, while minimizing contact with others. Because of COVID-19’s potential impact on the voting system, I’ll also be serving as a poll worker in Chicago.” – Cameron Barnes, Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships
- “I live in New York City and requested my absentee ballot to vote by mail via vote.nyc. You can even track it online! I plan to fill it out and return it as soon as it arrives.” – Lilia Hoberman, Senior Associate Consultant
- “I live in California, where they automatically mail out ballots to those who are registered for them. They also mail out voter guides – this all happens a month or two before elections. I find that this makes it easy for me to thoroughly educate myself on the ballot initiatives/candidates and allows me to simultaneously fill out my ballot. When the day comes, I drop my ballot off at my polling place, which happens to be right next to my building.” – Mila Gonzalzles, Staff Accountant
Visit Vote.Org to check on your voter registration, register in a new location, or request your mail-in ballot.
We hope you make a plan to vote in the November 3 election!
