Important Voting Information to Share With Your Employees

At ClearCompany, we believe in the importance of civic participation. This year’s Election Day is a little different than normal, so we want to make sure your organization has all the information you need to help employees cast their votes this November.

Here are 5 things you need to know about Election Day:

1. Check Your Voter Registration

Sometimes the registers get purged. Maybe you’ve moved, maybe you haven’t voted in a while, or maybe there was just an oversight. Before you head to the polls, check your voter registration status to make sure you’re still on record. Not every state has same-day registration, so be sure to know your local rules, regulations, and registration deadlines.

2. Know Your Options

Voting is a little different this year. With the Coronavirus making it difficult to hold an election as normal, people have questions as to how they can vote — and what’s the best way for them. This year, there are three ways to cast your vote:

• Mail-in Ballot — In most states, voters can request an absentee ballot for any reason, and all 50 states can request an absentee ballot with a valid reason. Send in your request, wait for your ballot to arrive, and make sure it’s postmarked by election day to be counted. Rules about mail-in ballots differ state by state, so be sure to check on local regulations and deadlines.

• Drop off in Person — There has been some concern around the effectiveness and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service, and some voters are looking for an alternative to mail-in that makes sure ballots arrive in time to be counted. This year, voters can request an absentee ballot and either drop it in an election box or deliver it to their polling place on election day.
• Vote Early — Don’t want to risk long waits or crowding on election day? Locate early voting polling places in your area where you can vote at your convenience, with plenty of time to schedule a trip to cast your vote. This not only makes it easier for voters to find a time that works best for them but also reduces the number of people who will be at the polls. Check your local area for early voting locations.
• Vote on Election Day — Polling places will still be fully operational on November 3. Locate your polling place and head to the polls!

3. Get Involved

Long lines have been an issue, and due to the Coronavirus, many polling places are understaffed. What happens when a polling place doesn’t have election judges? It gets closed down. Less polling places mean longer lines at other locations, and it makes it more difficult for many to cast their votes. You can help to solve that by volunteering to be a poll worker.

Poll workers get paid to be election judges or technicians on Election Day, and because many poll workers are often elderly, numbers are down this year. If you’re well and able, find your polling place and sign up to be a poll worker to ensure that no voters are disenfranchised because they couldn’t travel to the next precinct to vote.

4. Know Your Rights

It’s important to know your voting rights. Did you know that people are not allowed to stand outside the polling place and encourage voters to choose a particular candidate? Did you know that in most states you are not required to show ID? Rules and rights change state by state, so arm yourself with your rights as a voter.

Here are the key things you should know when you get to the polls:

• If the polls close while you’re still in line, stay in line. They cannot deny your vote if you arrived on time.
• If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one.
• If the machines are down, ask for a paper ballot.
• If your name isn’t on the registry, ask for a provisional ballot
• If you run into any problems, you can call the Election Protection Hotline:
• English: 1-866-687-8683
• Spanish: 1-888-839-8682

5. Get Informed

Learn who’s on your ballot, and what referendums mean so you can cast an educated vote!

Voting is important, and it doesn’t stop at the president or your senator. Down-ballot elections are just as important as choosing top leadership. Down-ballot voting decides who represents your neighborhood, who makes laws for your city, which judges sit on which benches, who your sheriff is, where your local tax dollars go, and what kind of laws and referendums are up for public opinion. Down-ballot elections are ones that affect your immediate, daily life. Don’t head to the polls without doing your research and making sure those who make decisions where you live represent and fight for what’s important to you.

ClearCompany is excited to engage in this year’s election and help our employees get to the polls and get involved. Download our Election Day Plan to learn more about how we’re encouraging employees to vote.

ClearCompany is not a legal expert on voters’ rights.