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Dear Miriam,
Lots of people I know (including me) started voting by mail during COVID. I’ve already received my mail-in ballot for the upcoming presidential election, but now that I have it in hand, I realize I really want to vote in person! Which is the better option?
Signed,
Election Options
Dear Options,
Mail-in ballots understandably gained popularity during COVID times when many people did not want to go into a crowded venue to vote in person. Since then, many people have continued to vote by mail because they prefer the convenience, the lack of lines, the absence of time pressure, and probably a host of other reasons.
It’s no secret that some people have tried to politicize and discredit the validity of mail-in ballots. This is called disenfranchisement, and it is bad. Voting is good, though, and you (and everyone you know) should do it by whatever means works best for you.
It’s also no secret that the 2020 presidential election came down to the hand-counting of mail-in ballots (specifically in Pennsylvania, where I live). This means that while you’re very considerately thinking of the lines on Election Day, you could also consider the wait times *after* Election Day when, very possibly, we could see a similar scenario in any number of hotly contested states.
If you decide to vote in person, that is absolutely your right, and you should go proudly into your polling place with your unused mail-in ballot in hand, and explain the situation to the poll workers who will either know what to do or will know how to figure it out – although when in doubt, check with your state’s election website. I strongly encourage you to do this in the hours between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.when (at least at my polling place) lines tend to be shortest and you will be less likely to inconvenience other voters who will need to wait or to encounter flustered poll workers who are dealing with impatient people in line.
If what you really want, though, is the experience of being around in-person voting, I encourage you to find ways to volunteer at your local polling place, regardless of what you decide to do with your mail-in ballot. Being a poll worker is a serious commitment, typically lasting from about 6:00 am through 9:00 pm, but if you’re able to devote the time, I highly recommend it. (I did this for several years and never felt closer to the electoral process!) You can also contact your local political offices and find out what other kind of help they might need, which could range from greeting people coming to vote to bringing food to poll workers, to door knocking reminding people to vote.
You can also look into things like being an election observer, driving people to the polls, or volunteering with a specific candidate. And, of course, in the remaining weeks leading up to the election, there are numerous opportunities available for door-knocking, sending postcards, and phone banking. Whatever you choose to do with your mail-in ballot is fine and valid and ultimately not a moral decision. The only crucial piece here is that you vote.
Be well,
Miriam
P.S. If what you’re actually worried about is the “I voted” sticker, go to your polling place on Election Day and tell them you mailed in your ballot, and I bet you can score a sticker even without voting in person.