Poll for US people: How do you plan to cast your vote?

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Tis_Bearself

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US people: how do you plan to cast your vote?
  • At the poll in person on Election Day
  • At the poll in person on early voting day
  • Send my absentee ballot through the mail
  • Drop my absentee ballot in a special designated drop box
  • None of the above, I’m skipping the whole thing
0 voters
 
I’ve been throwing an absentee ballot in the mail for the last 7 or 8 years and only had to go to the polls once because I got disorganized and either didn’t request or couldn’t locate my ballot, but this time I reckon I’ll use the special drop box, and furthermore I’m going to use the one at the County Board of Elections as being closest to the action.

You?
 
I have to do absentee, but if I had a choice I’d probably drop it off by hand.
 
I was a little antsy about mailing in my primary ballot a few months ago, but I figured it was only the primary and it was also pretty clear who was going to win it, so I didn’t worry too much about it. I did hand-carry it to the post office and get the guy to hand-stamp it, and my state also has a status checker online that will show you when your ballot has been received and then update the status when it’s been processed. I guess that’s about the best I can do.

Voting at the actual polls does not seem to be all that much more reliable. There’s always voting machines screwing up somewhere, it seems, and it’s not worth the COVID risk or an hours-long linestand. It used to be fun to go to the polls but not this year.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
I was a little antsy about mailing in my primary ballot a few months ago, but I figured it was only the primary and it was also pretty clear who was going to win it, so I didn’t worry too much about it. I did hand-carry it to the post office and get the guy to hand-stamp it, and my state also has a status checker online that will show you when your ballot has been received and then update the status when it’s been processed. I guess that’s about the best I can do.
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Yeah, the state I vote in has an online status checker, so I’m relatively comfortable than I can confirm it’s been received.
 
I am voting in person. My town is small so there has never been a wait for longer than a few minutes. I feel more confident that my vote will be counted by putting it in the machine myself. Unless my state flips for the first time again since Ronald Reagan’s reelection, my vote won’t matter but it still matters to me to do it.
 
Until my voter registration is fixed (which for some reason has still NOT been done, in spite of me submitting the correction IN WRITING) I am not voting. I refuse to vote with incorrect voter information.
 
Already requested (but have not received) the ballot. Will drop it off at the Election Commissioner’s office…it’s right on the way to work. Did that during the primary and it was fine.
 
Skipping the whole thing. I don’t like the attitude of elections in general and especially this one. I don’t see any spiritual benefit and only loss. I’ve blocked news about politics out of my life as much as possible recently and began memorizing Scripture. I recommend the practice for all, much calmer and you’ll draw closer to Christ

Cornelius Lapide great Catholic Commentator: The dignity, usefulness, and majesty of Scripture are so great that it surpasses the books of all philosophers and theologians, both Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, as much as Divine surpasses human wisdom. For Scripture is the Word of God. It is the very utterance of God, by means of which God enunciates His wisdom to us, and points out to us the way to virtue, health, and eternal happiness. S. Augustine asserts that “Sacred Scripture is an Encyclopædia of all the sciences. Here is Natural Philosophy, because all the causes of all creatures are in God, the Creator. Here is Moral Philosophy, because a good and honest life is derived from no other source than the love of God and our neighbour as they ought to be loved. Here is Logic, because Truth and the Light of the rational soul are God. Here is Political Science, for a really flourishing State can neither be founded nor preserved except upon the foundation, and by the bond of faith, and firm concord, when the common good of all is loved: that is to say, when God is loved above all things, and when men love one another in Him, and for His sake.” After an interval he adds, “By the Scriptures depraved minds are corrected, little minds are nourished, great minds are delighted. The only minds which are hostile to this doctrine are those which either by going astray know not its healthfulness, or being sick dislike its medicine.”
 
avemariagratiaplena said:
I don’t like the attitude of elections in general and especially this one. I don’t see any spiritual benefit and only loss
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I note that the Catechism instructs Catholics that it is “morally obligatory” for us to “exercise the right to vote”, so while I understand not wanting to vote, you’re technically going against Church teaching if you don’t.
The duties of citizens

2238 Those subject to authority should regard those in authority as representatives of God, who has made them stewards of his gifts:43 "Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution… Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God."44 Their loyal collaboration includes the right, and at times the duty, to voice their just criticisms of that which seems harmful to the dignity of persons and to the good of the community.

2239 It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. the love and service of one’s country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community.

2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one’s country:
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Not only do you have to vote, you have to vote for the candidate I prefer, and if you don’t you’re at Excommunication Level 9. 👺
 
RolandThompsonGunner said:
Not only do you have to vote, you have to vote for the candidate I prefer, and if you don’t you’re at Excommunication Level 9. 👺
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Well, it’s interesting that they just say you need to “exercise your right to vote”.
Presumably they’d like you to do that in good conscience, but if your conscience tells you neither candidate is any good, then you’re free to vote 3rd party, write-in, or even skip the question and vote for everything else on the ballot.

There are generally a bunch of local elections, bond issues also that I want to vote on, even if I were to skip the President question or write in Daffy Duck.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
I note that the Catechism instructs Catholics that it is “morally obligatory” for us to “exercise the right to vote”, so while I understand not wanting to vote, you’re technically going against Church teaching if you don’t.
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Yeah it is a prudential thing and there is no one on any level I’d agree with, I figure if I am wrong in my judgments then it’s venial at worse. I’ll expiate it with a fast
 
I plan on going in person and also sending in a number of mail in ballots, just in case. 🤔

I’m kidding!

I will be doing early voting, in person.
 
I always thought absentee ballots are if you are away - like in the military. When I lived in Madrid in 1972-1973 I requested an absentee ballot be sent to me in Spain before I left for the 1972 election.

In my state, we have early voting by mail so they will send out our ballots next week. I will drop my ballot off in the drop box they have downtown by the elections office. I haven’t mailed mine in in several years.

I don’t know why they keep calling them absentee ballots. If we are living at our residence, we are not absent. @Tis_Bearself
 
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I requested an absentee ballot because I had no idea whether I’d be on campus or not. Seeing that I won’t be, I’m torn between casting in person out of principle or just use my mail-in ballot because my vote will never count in my state even if vote by mail was a foolproof system.
 
Most if not all states have changed the name to “Mail-In Ballots”.

I always assumed “Absentee Ballot” just meant you were going to be absent from the polls on election day. If you’re planning to be on travel for work or vacation for example, you can’t be at the polls.
The states where I have had to request the ballots in the past never made you give a reason for the request. I understand some other states did require you to give some specific reason.

My state was calling it “Absentee Ballot” right up to a few months ago. It was still called “Absentee Ballot” when I got one for the April primary because I certainly wasn’t going to go stand in line at the polls in the middle of COVID shutdown. Now it’s called “Mail in Ballot” but it’s the same process. I understand they did send out paper ballots to people’s homes, but I probably won’t get it because my snail mail is kind of a mess and anyway I already requested an online ballot and filled it out and printed it and everything, I don’t need the paper one.
 
Yes, in my state it is called mail in ballot too.

@Tis_Bearself

I didn’t answer the poll because there was no category for mail in ballots.
 
I should probably have used the word “Mail In Ballots” but as I explained, it’s exactly the same thing now whether you or your state call it “Absentee” or “Mail in”.

When I requested my ballot in August, it was still called “Absentee”, they changed the name later but I didn’t have to fill out a different form. I already knew in August I wasn’t going to want to go to the polls with COVID still going on.
 
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