Commit to voting despite distractions
As the election approaches, people are being inundated with messages soliciting support for a particular candidate or 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 last week said that his office is getting reports of robocallers spreading false information to discourage voting by mail, a process taking on increased importance in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robocalls are telling Pennsylvania voters that their personal information will be shared with law enforcement or debt collectors if they use mailin 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.”
But while election officials are cautioning voters about false information, they have a different take on mail-in ballot applications sent by nonprofit groups. 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 sent them to local election offices.
The forms his group is mailing are the same 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. However, state officials advise anyone using those applications to make sure their personal information and the return addresses are correct.
And in answer to the inevitable questions about duplicate ballots, Berks County elections director Deborah M. Olivieri clarified that no matter how many applications a voter receives or sends in, “you’ll only get one ballot.”
Mass use of mail-in ballots is new in Pennsylvania, the result of voter reform laws unrelated to the coronavirus but nonetheless welcome as an alternative to voting in person during the pandemic.
Anyone may 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. People who opt to vote by mail must understand their local requirements for timely submission of absentee ballots. In Pennsylvania, the ballot must be received — not postmarked — by Nov. 3.
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.
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.