How to be sure your vote will count
This election is like no other, at least in recent memory. Maybe back in 1800 when Republican Thomas Jefferson wanted to prevent Federalist John Adams from winning a second term it was equally tumultuous. But then again, they didn’t have social media to inflame everyone two centuries ago.
So here we are in 2020: Foreign governments interfering in our presidential election reportedly by spreading disinformation, a president calling the voting process fraudulent (with no evidence) and telling followers to patrol polling places, a U.S. Postal Service deliberately slowing the processing of mail by dismantling sorting equipment, and likely record numbers of people voting through absentee ballots because of a deadly pandemic.
Imagine if you were responsible for this election in our state. With everything going on, what keeps you up at night? What is your 3 a.m. fear?
“My worst fear is that the day following the election, people won’t trust the results,” said the one person who doesn’t have to imagine what it’s like. “It is all-important that people trust in the election.”
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill has met in person numerous times with the Hearst Connecticut editorial board, of which I am a member. But Wednesday morning when we chatted about the election, at my request, it was remotely through FaceTime. I knew I could count on her for a thoughtful and honest response.
But can we trust the results? I’ve read speculation that President Donald Trump will declare himself the winner after the polls close Nov. 3 and throw into question the millions of mail-in ballots that could take days to count and change the outcome.
When asked by moderator Chris Wallace, a Fox news anchor, during the debate Tuesday to “pledge tonight that you will not declare victory until the election has been independently certified,” Trump pivoted and called on supporters to “go in to the polls and watch very carefully, because that’s what has to happen. I am urging them to do it.”
Merrill said she read a “disturbing” survey that showed 50 percent of Americans — Republicans and Democrats — said they will not trust the results of the election, which will have “profound consequences.”
“We will do all we can to combat that,” she said. By “we,” she means her counterparts around the country who have taken to the hashtag #trusted source.
States set their own laws about voting. Some allow early voting — as you read this, someone in Pennsylvania could be casting a ballot right now — and five states vote primarily by mail.
Connecticut has some of the most restrictive rules. Voting in person happens only on Election Day between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Although absentee ballots have been allowed since 1832 (Did you know that? I was surprised when Merrill mentioned that fun fact), reasons have been extremely limited, such as military
service. This year is different. The General Assembly agreed to a “no excuses” absentee ballot during the pandemic so no one has to choose between their health and their vote.
Connecticut’s ballots are also incredibly complicated for these state and federal office elections. If you think about it, one city could have several different ballots because of the way state House and Senate districts are drawn. For example, Danbury is divided among six state representatives (some of whom also represent pieces of Bethel, Brookfield, New Fairfield, Ridgefield, Redding, Newtown, New Milford and Sherman) necessitating separate ballots for each section.
All total, Connecticut has
printed 500 different ballots, Merrill said. “It’s a very local process,” she said, even in a national election. Oct. 2 is the day these ballots go out to town and city clerks.
Let’s talk about what you can do to make sure your vote counts.
Usually in an election 5 percent of the ballots cast are absentee; for the party primaries in August the percent jumped to 68. For the Nov. 3 election, absentee ballot applications ( applications, not ballots) were mailed to every registered voter in the state. I stress that these were applications because I’ve seen people holler fraud when some went to incorrect addresses. An application must be verified by a local town or city clerk, using updated voter databases, before an actual ballot can be sent.
To a degree, this process relies on the mail. Even the U.S. Postal Service is recommending, in postcards mailed to customers, “If you plan to vote by mail, plan ahead.” It recommends requesting an absentee ballot at least 15 days before the election and mailing it at least seven days ahead.
That’s necessary advice even here in Connecticut. Merrill told me she saw a sorting machine taken apart in the Hartford mail distribution center. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said, “It’s hard to explain.”
If you are voting by mail, get the details right. Make sure you sign the inner envelope (and that name exactly matches the outer envelope), seal it, and place in the outer envelope. If it’s unsealed or the name is incorrect or even if more than one ballot is in the envelope, that’s a problem.
You could mail it, but better yet bypass the postal service and drop it in the ballot box that is in front of your local town or city hall. These are checked every day by local election officials.
To ease the expected historic volume of absentee ballots, state legislators voted this week to allow local voting officials to begin opening the outer — just the outer — envelopes after 5 p.m. on Oct. 30. This voluntary effort should save time when the count begins on Election Day.
For peace of mind, you can check to make sure your absentee ballot is received by going to https://portaldir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx
Here’s something easy you should do before voting: Check to make sure your address is correct on voter rolls and that you are marked “active.” (Names go inactive if you haven’t voted in two consecutive federal elections.) This can be checked by going to myvote.ct.gov, where there’s a wealth of information.
“I honestly think everyone should do that,” Merrill said.
Know where your information about the presidential election is coming from. Merrill’s office has several services that are checking for foreign bots spreading misinformation, but be proactive yourself and turn to reputable news sources.
If you decide to vote in person on Election Day, then be aware that steps are taken to help make it safe in a pandemic. Municipalities are getting federal grants for personal protective equipment, social distancing will be observed and masks are required.
Voting is different this year. But then again, it’s often changing. I remember when my daughters were younger, they enjoyed going with me to pull the big handle that shut the curtain around us and I flicked little levers to indicate my vote. Those machines are gone now and we have paperand-electronic voting.
For quite a while I’ve been thinking this is the year for an absentee ballot because of the virus. But the more I hear (the debate) and read, I’m inclined to vote in person on Nov. 3, as long as I’m well.
I want my vote to count that very night. And not contribute to Merrill’s 3 a.m. fear.