2026, Computers, Government, Kids, Uncategorized

Choices!

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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?

35 thoughts on “Choices!”

  1. 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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  2. going tomorrow with deb. i have never mailed in or dropped off my mail in ballot because i need to know who are the city council and school board members i want and then this year my local precinct sent out a postcard with all the endorsed suggestions . ill carry it tomorrow

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  3. We voted early, in person, a week ago. Like you, we generally prefer to vote on election day and even the prospect of long lines wasn’t why we opted not to.

    There’s a certain relief that, whatever happens tomorrow, our votes are cast and counted.

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  4. Voted the first day you could in person. Very glad I did. Been nagging everyone I know to do same. Heard from a dear friend that she and her DH were wretchedly ill. At least they got their votes in last week!

    I still remember the year the Wellstones were killed in that plane crash and all the early votes for Paul simply got thrown out. Insisted on election day until COVID because of that. By then, the laws had changed, so voting early no longer held that risk.

    I am weary of living in “interesting times”.

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      1. I remember it exactly too. So gracious of Walter Mondale to step in. I voted in the little hockey hut then got in my car and sobbed. What a loss when the Wellstones died!

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        1. I had a T-shirt that had his saying “we all do better when we all do better“ for many years. I should probably get another one.

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      2. Yes. Me too. I was driving on I35. I had to pull over because I couldn’t see because I was crying. If I recall correctly, it was a cloudy, warm-ish, humid day that day. I remember the look of the oak trees.

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    2. I remember where I was, too.

      It’s not accurate to say that the Wellstone votes were thrown out. They were counted. It was a close election, but the margin of victory was about 50,000 votes, and the early vote count for Wellstone was under 12,000.

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      1. I remember that day too. I was at Tractor Supply buying an air compressor, which I still have. I heard the news on the radio and called Kelly to tell her.
        A sad day.

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  6. I voted last Tuesday in-person. Many voters, many volunteers, well-oiled machine. It was amazingly quick and easy. They even had a curb-side option. I’m not sure how it worked, but I’m pretty sure it was actual voting, not just ballot drop-off. ~OC

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  7. I’ll vote tomorrow. I’ve never voted early or by mail. Something about being there in person on voting day makes it more real. Plus, I figure the chances for a screwup are the smallest if I personally insert my ballot into the counter and verify that it has been recorded. Call me old-fashioned, I guess. I don’t mind. 🙂

    Chris in Owatonna
    (Go MN Wild!)

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  8. I voted on the first day of early voting. The line was long but moved at a decent pace. It was a good feeling to insert the ballot into the machine myself.

    I voted by absentee ballot once – I think it was because I was going to be out of the country on Election Day.

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  9. I’m an early voter advocate. I will be in my home precinct tomorrow, so I could have waited, but I didn’t procrastinate, I voted last week.

    The number of registered voters in my precinct is approximately double what it was twenty years ago, so I am extremely grateful to each and every voter who goes in early to cat their vote. If everyone waited till election day, we would have significant stretches of time, especially morning and late afternoon, when the lines would stretch out of the building and people would have to wait in the rain.

    That may still happen tomorrow, but it would be so much worse without early voting. The building is not big enough for the population that votes here.

    Also, it is very questionable that staffing and equipment would be adequate if everyone waited till the very last day.

    To those who still wait…think about what all the grocery stores would be like if they were closed six days a week and opened up only on Saturdays. And they only had eight checkout lanes and nine or ten employees. Would that be efficient?

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  10. I’ll vote tomorrow while working.
    We have such a nice place for voting. I’m guessing 250-300 AB voters. Meaning about 600 in person? 500? Depends on the turnout. Which is usually pretty good in our township.

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  11. Rise and Exercise Your Frnachise, Baboons! (But it sounds like you all have),

    I voted in person several weeks ago when all voting carels were full and there was a short line, I understand that now the voting carels are full all day and there has been a line outside the room. Heavy voting. Lou went to vote in person, absentee about a month ago so it was quiet and so I could assist him if needed.

    I miss voting in person on the day–it is a ritual I have enjoyed over the years. I just do not trust the guy in charge of the country right now to allow the vote to proceed without monkey business.

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      2. I am the elusive Voter Frog. Trumpists say there are millions of us and they search high and low but I am the only one. Find and kiss me and all your wildest dreams will come true.

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  13. Yep, we voted about a week ago, and I’m in a small enough town that I knew a couple of the poll workers. I too like the feeling of inserting the ballot myself, which we do here.

    A great big thank you to all of you who do any election volunteering.

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  14. We voted in person on October 24. I don’t think Minnetonka will be a hotbed of Election Day shenanigans, but better to be safe. Daughter voted in person early as well. Son is a traditionalist and always goes on Election Day. Whether we vote early or not, it’s always a smooth process with many helpful election judges and volunteers to keep things going.

    I’ve never voted by mail and am not likely to start unless absolutely necessary.

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  15. Aside from whatever hopes I have for certain outcomes in tomorrow’s elections, I am hopeful that there won’t be violence. I remember a time when it would never occur to me to be worried about election day violence, but some of the rhetoric is so appalling and frightening that it gives me pause. If I lived in Michigan I don’t think I would step up to be an election judge.

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    1. I’m in Michigan. It’s 6:30 AM. At 8, I am scheduled to report to the Absent Voter Counting Board to begin processing a portion of the 6000+ absentee votes cast here in my city. I enjoy the crew “in the room”, and this will be my 3rd time there in 2026. No violence expected, none feared.

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  16. I applied for and received an absentee ballot for the primary. I must’ve checked a box to receive an absentee ballot for the mid-term too because I received my absentee ballot in the mail several weeks ago. Within a week or two I took it to the Rice County Assessor and Elections office, had it witnessed as required, filled it out, had the witness sign the envelope, and left it with them. I checked the Secretary of State’s website a week or two later. It had been accepted and was waiting to be counted. I had planned to vote early for the mid-term instead of an absentee ballot, but they mailed me one, so I did it as instructed. I started voting by absentee ballot during the pandemic, and I’ve found it convenient except for the witnessing part. I won’t apply for one again unless I need to. I would prefer to vote early. I don’t think they have a place for early voting here in Dundas, but I think I can go to Northfield or back to the Elections office to do it. I probably won’t vote on Election Day again, unless I have to. I admit to feeling somewhat intimidated. I hope that feeling goes away.

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