Absentee voting/mail in voting

[ChiefD]

Hi everyone. I voted today. I just wanted to give you all an idea of what voting absentee in Wisconsin is like. I know each state is doing their own thing, and some states don’t allow voting by mail at all. Wisconsin does. It started with a website - myvote.wi.gov... I was able to get on and order an absentee ballot. It was easy and secure. I had to attach a pic of my driver’s license and give my address. They actually check to make sure you’re registered to vote. If you are not registered to vote, they redirect you to another section of the site where you can register to vote. It’s all very convenient.  

Once you fill out the information, they process your application and mail you a ballot. It took a little over two weeks for me to get my ballot, not too bad. There were a couple of ways I could do the ballot. I had the option of having a witness observe that I filled out the ballot, sign with me on the envelope, and then I put the ballot in the envelope and put it in the mail. What I chose to do was the other option. I needed to get a walk in anyway, so I walked to my city clerk’s office and had them witness me filling out the ballot. I put it in the envelope and sealed it. I signed, and the clerk signed and put it in the ballot box. Yes, they did ask to see my driver’s license. Whole process took less than five minutes.  

So for me at least, it wasn’t difficult or a cluster for the process. Again, I have no idea what other states are doing, but I think what Wisconsin is doing is an example for other states to follow. I’m glad I’m done. I won’t have to stand in a long line in the cold (it’s always cold on Election Day), hoping I don’t get COVID-19 from the crowds. So there’s that. 

[kdog]

I am registered and we have early voting at select places, not our normal across the street at the high school voting starting around Oct 13. 

I'm assuming long lines, but willing to wait to do it in person. But good for you, because you did vote ! 

[Ninurta]

I moved my voter registration when I changed my driver's license for the move, but never got any notification that it had been changed. So I went online today, and discovered that it had indeed been changed. So then I called the county registrar to find out why I hadn't been notified, and it was only THEN, when I had the registrar on the phone, that I was informed that early voting was available - if I was willing to drive 40 miles to the county seat on certain days. I'm not. We have perfectly usable voting booths at the local precinct on election day.

SO - they can change my voter registration without notifying me, and they can initiate early voting but only inform select folks rather than broadcasting that information for everyone to know.

This, all things considered, is not exactly confidence inspiring.

I think, after I die, I'm gonna have my kids and grandkids check my voter registration every election cycle to make sure it hasn't been moved without notification - to, for instance, Northern Virginia where all the Marxists live - so they can be sure I'm not voting for a commie from the grave. It's a goddamned shame it's come to this.

.

[Finspiracy]

What is this "registering to vote" thing?

So, if i am 38 years old, an American citizen, and never committed a crime in my life or anything, i can't go to the voting booth, give my vote, show my ID and that is it?

[Ninurta]

What is this "registering to vote" thing?

So, if i am 38 years old, an American citizen, and never committed a crime in my life or anything, i can't go to the voting booth, give my vote, show my ID and that is it?

Not if you're not registered to vote. If I had gone to my regular voting precinct to vote, because they failed to notify me that my registration had been moved, I would have been denied the right to vote because I'm no longer registered there.

Like I said above, it's not exactly confidence-inspiring this year.

The registrar said the notification was sent, but "it came back because your name was not on the mailbox", WTF? that's some bullshit right there. NO names are on my mailbox! Ain't nobody's goddamned business but mine who lives here! If I tell the registrar that's my address, they'd damned well better send my confirmation to where I tell them I live! Seems to me someone is hiding some nefarious shit in The People's Democratic Republic of Virginia this year...

They also have not one, but TWO referendums on changes to the state constitution this year. HELL no! It's ignored enough as it already is - I don't need to change it for them to keep ignoring it, and I sure as hell don't need to change it so the politicians can ass-rape the constituents more easily!

They also have a vote on the ballot for redistricting - HELL no! bastards stole it fair and square last election, and I ain't about to make it easier for them to steal more elections!

And, finally, they have a local referendum on moving the Confederate memorial from public view to somewhere no one can see it. HELL no! If I want to hide history from future generations, I'll burn that shit down like the Marxists are doing now.

Folks may not be able to tell, but I ain't a politically happy man right about now. I'm thinking it's about time to cut some fence and sort some bastards out.

.

[NightskyeB4Dawn]

Voting in my area is probably a bit different for me.The polls open at 7am and close at 7pm. 

When you arrive, you will probably know over half the people working at the poll site. You will spend a few minutes chatting, because it is a small community, but you are likely to run into a couple of folk you haven't seen for a while. 

You show your ID and voter's registration card anyway. Your name is found on the print out. It is checked off. They hand you a ballot and you go off to a booth and vote. When you finish, you place your ballot into the machine, the number displayed should move up by one.

Pretty simple.

[GeauxHomeLittleD]

What is this "registering to vote" thing?

So, if i am 38 years old, an American citizen, and never committed a crime in my life or anything, i can't go to the voting booth, give my vote, show my ID and that is it?

In my current state and also in my home state they ask if you want to register to vote when you renew your driver license or ID card. If you don't do it then you can register online or by mail. It is free of cost. The majority of people do not register because they never vote anyway which is odd to me, but whatever!

Also in both states when I have voted they scan your ID (barcode on back) so none of this voting multiple times crap.

[beez]

I live in Oregon, so that means someone's already voted for me.

[Mystic Wanderer]

Hi everyone. I voted today. I just wanted to give you all an idea of what voting absentee in Wisconsin is like. I know each state is doing their own thing, and some states don’t allow voting by mail at all. Wisconsin does. It started with a website - myvote.wi.gov... I was able to get on and order an absentee ballot. It was easy and secure. I had to attach a pic of my driver’s license and give my address. They actually check to make sure you’re registered to vote. If you are not registered to vote, they redirect you to another section of the site where you can register to vote. It’s all very convenient.  

Once you fill out the information, they process your application and mail you a ballot. It took a little over two weeks for me to get my ballot, not too bad. There were a couple of ways I could do the ballot. I had the option of having a witness observe that I filled out the ballot, sign with me on the envelope, and then I put the ballot in the envelope and put it in the mail. What I chose to do was the other option. I needed to get a walk in anyway, so I walked to my city clerk’s office and had them witness me filling out the ballot. I put it in the envelope and sealed it. I signed, and the clerk signed and put it in the ballot box. Yes, they did ask to see my driver’s license. Whole process took less than five minutes.  

So for me at least, it wasn’t difficult or a cluster for the process. Again, I have no idea what other states are doing, but I think what Wisconsin is doing is an example for other states to follow. I’m glad I’m done. I won’t have to stand in a long line in the cold (it’s always cold on Election Day), hoping I don’t get COVID-19 from the crowds. So there’s that. 

What you chose was the absentee ballot voting. That's a safe and convenient way to vote. It's the "other" mail-in voting that is dangerous: People getting ballots they did not request. Dead people (and cats!) receiving ballots. People getting ballots for people who may no longer live at that address; someone else could easily fill those out and mail it in.
Some states are not even making it a requirement that the signature be authorized on mail-in ballots.
The post office losing ballots, or dumping them in the trash is another major problem with vote-by-mail.
This is why President Trump keeps saying absentee voting is okay, but not vote-by-mail.

I have always voted in person, early or on election day.  If I vote early, which I intend to do, I'll have to go to the court house in town to cast my ballot on the machine after showing my ID. If I wait until election day, I'd have to go to the designated school in my district. Neither place is that far from me, so that isn't a problem. But early voting will allow me to not have to stand in line when the weather turns colder, so that's what I'll be doing this time.

[guohua]

I live in Oregon, so that means someone's already voted for me.

YES, TWICE!!!!