Your Guide to Surviving Election Day (and the days after)
Halloween may be over, but the scary days are not behind us. Tomorrow is the big day. After months of trepidation, preparation, and cautious optimism, America will finally know what lies ahead for the White House. Whether you and your friends are having viewing parties or you have decided to hunker down with no technology until it has passed, here is your guide to surviving Election Day and the week ahead.
Election Day Prep:
Use caution when looking at the polls. Back in 2016, election polls put Clinton in front of Trump leading up Election Day, yet Trump still won. This past week, Biden has been leading Trump in the polls. Treat polls with an abundance of caution. Polling methodology can lead to misleading results due to calculation error, varying demographics polled, among many other things.
Vote and encourage others to vote as well. If you haven’t voted yet, or you know family and friends who haven’t voted yet, make sure to formulate a plan of action! If you have already voted, talk to loved ones and strangers alike to encourage them to vote. Use this link to determine where you can vote on Election Day. This link includes information on polling locations, ID requirements, and voter guides for the ballots. 36 states require voters to show some form of ID at the polls.
Know what is on your ballot! Keep in mind November 3rd is the day to vote not only for the future president, but also state and local representatives and local amendments. State level and local level elections and policy matter. Invest just as much time in local elections as you do federal elections. Wording on ballots can be tricky to understand. Make sure you know what each question is asking.
Know your voting rights! When you arrive at the polling place, make sure you know or have a copy of your voting rights order to prevent voter intimidation. (Via ACLU)
If the polls close while you’re still in line, stay in line – you have the right to vote.
If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one.
If the machines are down at your polling place, ask for a paper ballot.
If a poll worker says your name is not on the list of registered voters, you are still entitled to a provisional ballot.
It is illegal to intimidate voters and a federal crime to threaten or coerce any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of that other person to vote as they choose. Report intimidation to the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
If you run into any problems or have questions on Election Day, call the Election Protection Hotline:
English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683
Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682
Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287
For Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 1-888-274-8683
If you are a voter with disabilities or a voter who does not speak English very well:
Under federal law, all polling places for federal elections must be fully accessible to older voters and voters with disabilities.
Under federal law, voters with disabilities and those with difficulty reading and writing English have the right to receive in person help at the polls. You may bring a family member or friend to assist you. Let the poll workers know that when they check you in.
Polling locations must provide you reasonable accommodation.
Understand election results may take days to arrive. Some states, such as Florida, allow ballots to be processed before Election Day is over, increasing the speed results can be displayed. However, other states require polls to officially close before ballots are counted. Additionally, with the large number of absentees and mail in ballots this year due to COVID-19, final tallies could be delayed for days.
Take care of yourself. Election Day will be scary and long. It is important to remember your mental health. Remember it is okay to turn off the TV and put down the phone.
After Election Day
Keep taking care of yourself. There is a lot of hope riding on this election. There is also a lot of fear. Utilize your support system and check in on your loved ones.
Fight false information. For weeks Trump has been laying the groundwork to challenge the result of the election and continues to be outspoken against post Election Day counting. However, it has always been the case that votes are counted after Election Day in many states. It is not possible to completely count all votes in one night. Any attempt to stop vote counting after November 3 is a subversion of the electoral process. Know how to contact your state representatives should you need to.
Keep the momentum. No matter the outcome, there will be things to fight for. We must make sure to hold the future president accountable for the desires of the American people. Just as we have for four years, we must continue to be outspoken for what we believe in.
Here are the links in case the permalinks do not copy:
General election information: https://www.usa.gov/election-day
Identification requirements: https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id.aspx#Laws%20in%20Effect
Know your rights: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/voting-rights/#im-not-sure-what-to-bring-to-the-polls