Voting on Election Day has always been my modus operandi – except, of course, during COVID. That year YA and I drove downtown to drop off our ballots. With YA’s travel and work schedule, she has used mail-in ballots more the last couple of years, including the upcoming election. Although I’ve been trying not to let the internet shove my anxiety over the edge, I have seen quite a few exhortations online to not actually MAIL your mail-in ballot. This led me to the Secretary of State website to find drop-off spots for ballots. I even volunteered to drop it off for her.
That’s when I discovered all the early-voting options in Minneapolis, including a pop-up, one-day site just a few blocks from my house. I have been absolutely slammed the last couple of weeks with appointments, meetings and projects, with no end in site for a bit to I decided to check it out. Well, let me tell you, I wasn’t the only one! It was hopping. The little parking lot was full, people parking on the street all around the park building and so many people on the move. I was a little worried that with this much activity, it would be a long wait.
But no. The line moved really quickly and as I got closer to the gymnasium, I saw why. There were at least 20 voting booths with another 10 or so sitting stations, 10 folks doing the check-in, 1 guy monitoring the check-in and he was notifying another gal who was directing voters when there was space. Everything is on the computer now… remember those big books of print-outs that used to be needed? History. They were even printing out individual ballots. 2 ballot boxes. So many volunteers. This was easily 3 times larger of an operation than my normal polling place on election day. It was amazing.
It took 20 minutes total, including the walk from my car to the park building and back and the additional form that I had to fill out to drop off YA’s ballot. Done and dusted in 20 minutes. I suppose I could have just waited, but it feels nice to have to have options and have it off my to-list. Can’t ask for better than that!
Have you voted already? Going tomorrow? Mail-in or in-person?
I have been in the USA for 8 years now (after almost 40 years out of the country). I’ve voted in person about 3 times, and have been an election worker for at least 6 years. I mainly count absentee ballots at City Hall. When I vote, I do so early and put it into a drop box outside City Hall several weeks before the election.
A couple weeks ago I spoke with a man who, like me, votes absentee. He said that he always carries his ballot into the city clerk’s office and puts it into the box there, because “you can’t trust the mail, and anybody can rob stuff out of the blue mail box on the corner.” I asked, “Has that happened much around here lately?” He had no response.
Tomorrow, I will be at City Hall at 8AM to get things set up. The crew will begin processing ballots 2 hours later and will keep going all day. I hope to be home before midnight.
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