November 2020 Elections, Part 4 – Decisions, Decisions

Part 4 – Decisions, Decisions

Over the last three weeks, I have shared information about aspects of individual political identity,[1] how that identity can be used against us in the context of social media,[2] and how our disproportionate attention on the executive branch, rather than state and local races, during elections weakens our democracy.[3] I try not to preach from the internet soapbox that is this blog, but this post, as a culmination of this series, will serve as my semi-annual appeal to educate yourself and get involved.

When I started creating my election spreadsheets four years ago, it was for my own benefit, but it quickly became apparent that many of my friends and family would not (or could not) put in the time to examine the stances and voting records of each candidate on the ballot. I also know that members of my own family vote the straight-ticket option, only paying attention to party affiliation. Like our first president, I believe there is an inherent danger in the existence of political parties, and after voting in five increasingly-contentious presidential elections, I believe that their existence done more harm than good.

Sharing my spreadsheet on social media (and watching it go viral some years) was the proto version of this blog: my goal being that reasonably researched and unbiased information could be available for people who otherwise didn’t have the time. I have viewed both the spreadsheet and the blog as something I do for myself, and if someone else gets a benefit, it’s a bonus. I have been very happy to hear in multiple elections that friends and family have made use of that research. I know I have influenced at least one person to vote in his first election four years ago, and that two people close to me are voting in their first election this year.

And so, this post is dedicated to the sometime-voters and the first-time voters who are taking time and energy to do their duty. May your interest and involvement continue to grow.

Voting in Pennsylvania

For Pennsylvania readers, as of the writing of this post, there is still time to register to vote in the upcoming election. The deadline in Pennsylvania is October 19, and it can be done online here: https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/VoterRegistrationApplication.aspx

You must be 18 years old, a US citizen, and a resident of Pennsylvania for at least 30 days before the upcoming election to register. In this form, you will need to enter your date of birth, contact information, home address / mailing address, and PA driver’s license number (if you do not have a driver’s license, you will be asked to enter the last four digits of your social security number). You will be asked to register with a political party – “no affiliation” is an option, but please note that only registered democrats and republicans can currently vote in the Pennsylvania primary elections in the spring. New this year is the option to receive mail-in ballots at your home for any elections in which you qualify to vote.

If you want to vote by mail in the upcoming election, you must apply for your absentee or mail-in ballot by October 27 here: https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/OnlineAbsenteeApplication/#/OnlineAbsenteeBegin

You can either download the application form and print it yourself, or you can request the form by mail. Several independent sources recommend if you choose to vote by mail in this election, that you do not wait until the deadline to do so. There are concerns about ballots not arriving on time (either to voters or to county offices on the return trip) because of additional strain on the post office in this first year of widespread mail-in voting in Pennsylvania. Because of these concerns, the previous guidelines, in which the ballot had to be received in the county office by election day, have been adjusted. The current statewide guidance on the return of ballots is as follows: “The deadline to return your voted absentee or mail-in ballot is 8:00 PM on 11/03/2020. If your ballot is postmarked by 8:00 PM on Election Day and received in your county office by 5:00 PM on 11/6/2020 it will be considered timely.” Again, it is better to err on the side of caution and shoot for election day, not the extension, as the deadline.

If you choose to vote by mail, there are very specific instructions regarding the proper completion of your ballot so it is not thrown out:

• You must complete the ballot in blue or black ink, filling in the circles completely, not with a check mark or X. Do not write on the ballot other than voting for your selected candidates.
• You must put your completed ballot inside the “Official Election Ballot” secrecy envelope. Do not write on the envelope.
• You must put your sealed secrecy envelope inside the return envelope and seal that.
• When completing the voter declaration on the back of the return envelope, sign it yourself (your signature will have to match what is on file with your voter registration), list the date of completion (not your birth date), and list the address on file for your registration (that’s easy enough – it’s the same address where they sent the ballot).
• If your ballot and/or voter declaration are not filled out correctly, or if you forget the secrecy envelope, your ballot can and will be thrown out.

If you vote by mail, you will be ineligible to vote in person on Election Day. If you received a mail-in ballot but are unable to return it completed by the deadline, you may vote in person on Election Day as long as you bring your ballot and envelopes with you to the polls, where they will be voided before you can vote.

Voting in Allegheny County

For Allegheny County readers, you have a few extra options this year if you are concerned about voting in person on election day. (Note: I cannot speak for other counties throughout the state, only to my own experience in Allegheny. Please check with your local elections office for specific voting information.)

If you received a mail-in ballot, you can return it by mail, or you can drop it off at one of several county-run drop-off locations. If you are registered to vote in Pennsylvania but have not yet requested a mail-in ballot, you can request, complete, and submit your ballot in one visit at any of the drop-off locations:

I was one of the approximately 8,700 voters who dropped off my ballot at one of these locations on the first day of collections,[6] and it was a quick and simple process. Everyone was wearing masks and standing six feet apart in line. Upon turning over your ballot, you are asked if it is your ballot and your signature. You cannot submit someone else’s ballot. (My husband works on the weekends and cannot make any of the early collection times, so he mailed his one week ago and already received an email notification saying it was recorded by the elections office.)

Ballots are collected in secure boxes and returned directly to the elections office without going through the mail. We have a friend who is working for the Allegheny County elections office, and we heard about the process: the ballots are scanned as they come in, but the outer envelope remains sealed until election day, when the secrecy envelope is removed. Ballot counting cannot begin until 7am on November 3, and reporting cannot begin until after the polls close at 8pm.

If you decide to vote in person on election day, there will be some safety precautions in place, such as Plexiglas shields and hand sanitizer. Poll workers are allowed to offer masks to voters not wearing them, but are not allowed to turn away voters who are not wearing masks. The voting process will be different this year as well: you will receive a printed ballot to complete in pen, as described above. The ballot will be fed into an optical scanner to record your votes, and the ballot will drop into a locked container so there is a hard copy on file later if needed.

For additional information on voting in Allegheny County, please look at their Frequently Asked Questions page: https://www.alleghenycounty.us/elections/frequently-asked-questions.aspx

As of this post, Pennsylvania has already seen record numbers for voter registration, and the number of ballots requested for the general election is greater than the total number of votes cast in June’s primary election.[7] I hope that if you are eligible to vote, you take the time to learn about your choices and exercise your right. To that end, I am including my election spreadsheet, which I hope is informative and helpful in making your decisions:

Have you voted, either by mail or at an early voting location? Do you live in a state that has been doing mail-in ballots for years? I would love to hear about your own experiences with this important civic duty.

Thanks for reading!

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[1] https://radicalmoderate.online/november-2020-elections-part-1/

[2] https://radicalmoderate.online/november-2020-elections-part-2/

[3] https://radicalmoderate.online/november-2020-elections-part-3/

[4] https://ivn.us/2018/07/27/10-independent-presidential-quotes-time

[5] https://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2020/09/17/Allegheny-County-new-election-offices-over-the-counter-voting-ballot-returns/stories/202009170179

[6] https://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/first-weekend-additional-voting-sites-open-allegheny-county/K7MWMJKVI5ATVEETDYOVU3XIYA

[7] https://www.wesa.fm/post/pa-voter-registration-hits-all-time-high-mail-ballot-requests-exceed-primary-totals

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