Election day—Tuesday, November 3—is less than 100 days away. Any other year, we wouldn’t feel quite so frazzled about registering to vote, but 2020 is unlike any other election year thus far. That said, getting yourself registered, or checking that you are indeed already registered, doesn’t have to become another stressful task on your to-do list. In fact, all you need are two spare minutes and an internet connection.
The #VoteReady website lets you register as a new voter, check your current voter registration and request an absentee ballot in under two minutes. Seriously, it takes just 120 seconds to remind yourself exactly what county you’ll be voting in or to assist your 18-year-old cousin in signing up for their very first presidential election. That’s faster than it takes to microwave a bag of popcorn. In fact, the site suggests checking an existing registration takes only 30 seconds. That’s less time than it takes to wash your hands.
As for requesting a mail-in ballot, the U.S. Postal Service has been experiencing delays throughout the pandemic and is recommending voters allow for a generous 14 days round trip (meaning it might take seven days to get to you and another seven to get back to your local elections office). That means election day for anyone voting by mail is actually Tuesday, October 20, just to be safe. So for anyone currently waiting out the pandemic someplace other than their usual residence, or for college students who will be on campus come November, go ahead and carve out those 120 seconds ASAP to get the ball rolling.
#VoteReady also has a ton of useful information about key dates to keep in mind (September 22 is National Voter Registration Day!) and steps you can take now to encourage others to register, to vote and to spread the word.
