Commit to voting despite distractions

As the Nov. 3 general election approaches, mailboxes, inboxes, and voice mail boxes are becoming clogged with messages soliciting voters’ support for a particular candidate or political party, and in some cases, just trying to get participation.

Unfortunately, that mix includes some who want people not to vote and to distrust the electoral system, particularly the security of mail-in ballots. The state attorney general this week said his office is getting reports of robocallers spreading false information to discourage voting by mail, a process taking on increasing importance in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Automated robocalls are telling Pennsylvania voters that their personal information will be shared with law enforcement or debt collectors if they use mail-in ballots. Not true.

“These false, targeted robocalls are another desperate tactic to scare eligible Americans from participating in the election,” state Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. “Don’t listen to their lies — vote. We will protect every eligible ballot.”

Officials are investigating the robocalls, calling them blatant attempts to suppress mail-in voting.

But while election officials are cautioning voters about false information, they are at the same time assuring them to trust letters from several nonprofit groups offering application forms for mail-in ballots.

State and county election officials stress that these letters from nonprofit groups like the Center for Voter Information and the Voter Participation Center are legal and are not an attempt to steal or nullify votes.

Center for Voter Information CEO Tom Lopach said the organization has sent more than 3.8 million vote-by-mail ballot applications to registered voters in Pennsylvania, and more than 295,000 Pennsylvania voters have already sent them to local election offices.

The forms his group is mailing are the same official ballot applications as those sent by Pennsylvania election officials, he said.

The letters provide application forms, often with voter’s information already filled in, so those wishing to register or seeking a mail-in ballot would just need to send the application to their county elections office and wait for approval.

The letters are meant to be helpful but can be frustrating for election officials, according to Lee Soltysiak, Montgomery County’s chief operating officer.

“These groups appear to be trying to help, however it ... has created a level of confusion and concern and frustration among voters and our voter services staff at a time when we need much less of that,” he said.

While some voters may end up sending in multiple applications, which results in duplications, they’ll still only be able to vote once, officials stress.

Voter reform laws new this year allow for anyone to vote by mail as long as registration and mail-in application deadlines are met. Ballots must be returned by mail or in person at the county board of elections or designated dropboxes and received by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to count – a requirement that has led to scrutiny on the postal service and warnings of uncounted ballots. Customers who opt to vote by mail must understand their local jurisdiction’s requirements for timely submission of absentee ballots, including postmarking requirements, officials said. In Pennsylvania, the ballot must be received — not postmarked — by Nov. 3.

And those mass-mailed ballot applications? The Pennsylvania Department of State advises anyone using those applications to make sure their personal information and the return addresses are correct.

Election officials say the best way to request a mail-in or absentee ballot is to request one online through the state’s votespa.com website.

That way you can track your application to see when it’s approved and when your ballot is mailed to you and received at the elections office. It also makes it much easier for county elections workers to enter data from each of the ballots returned by regular mail.

The bombardment of information can easily create voter frustration and confusion. County election officials are working hard to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to register, to vote safely and in a timely manner and to participate in this historic election.

Don’t let the confusion distract you: Get ready to vote by mail or in person. Request a ballot if choosing mail; be sure you’re registered at your current address. Vote carefully to avoid errors, and vote with confidence.

The bombardment will end Nov. 4, but your choices will determine what happens beyond that date. Democracy depends on your involvement.