Your chance to vote in Halloween costume contests may have ended, but your opportunity to vote in midterm elections hasn’t.
If you didn’t win best costume give yourself time to mourn then fill out and mail your ballot or head down to the polls and vote. Halloween may have been a spooky nightmare, but failing to cast your ballot is the mother of all night terrors. With Election Day less than a week away, here are some last minute tips to ensure your voice is heard at such a critical time:
Procrastinators Fear Not:
If you missed the October 22nd deadline for voter registration and you live in Madera, Napa, Nevada, Sacramento, or San Mateo County voter there is still hope. Go to your county elections office to register and vote conditionally. If you’re an extreme procrastinator this can even be done on Election Day, though not recommended.
The Fuss with Stamps:
With recent postage rate increases, figuring out how many stamps to use can be tricky. Avoid them altogether by dropping off your ballot at any secure Ballot Dropbox as soon as you’ve completed it. If you find that mailing your ballot in is the best option for you, we have a little secret for you. We must emphasize that it is preferred that you pay postage, however our ability to perform our civic duty should not be hindered by the cost of stamps. If you’re out of stamps, don’t worry. The Postal Service will still get your stamp-less ballot to the elections office at no cost to you. It’s important to note that Vote-by-mail ballots that are mailed must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by your county elections office no later than 3 days after Election Day.
Hand Deliver Your Precious Cargo:
They say if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. If you don’t want to risk your ballot getting lost in the mail or some other action by a universe conspiring against you, drop your ballot off at your specific polling location.
There is an App for That:
Use websites like Voter’s Edge California, which is one of the most comprehensive source of online voting information in the state, but it’s also super easy to navigate. If you’re one of those pesky youths out there looking to effect some great change, check out more targeted sites like Rock the Vote. For you tech savvy youngsters, download Vote California to your phone. This app was developed and launched by the California Secretary of State, The Pew Charitable Trusts and California counties, to connect you with the essential information you need to cast your ballot.
Democracy and Ride-sharing:
Uber and Lyft will be giving free rides to the polls on Tuesday, November 6. You’ll be able quickly find your polling place and book a ride to go vote with just a few taps in the Uber and Lyft apps. The service will be funded by Uber, Lyft and the non-profit groups #VoteTogether and Democracy Works. Be sure to give them a shout out!
Voting Parties:
Still not sure about the issues after viewing websites and other voting information sources, having voting parties is an easy way to bounce your understanding of the issues and candidate platforms off your peers. Reaching consensus on positions or healthy debate is a good way to feel comfortable about your ballot positions.
Go Register to Vote NOW:
Even if you find that all the odds are stacked against and you won’t be able to vote in this election, REGISTER TO VOTE RIGHT NOW. Stop reading this and go to the Secretary of State’s (SOS) website or you can even google search something as easy as “register to vote” and follow links to SOS website and register. If that’s too much, we’ve made it even easier for you- just click here. Register to vote because this wasn’t the first election and it won’t be the last one- next time you’ll be ready.
