Have you considered Vote By Mail (VBM)? It’s the same as an Absentee Ballot, but you don’t have to be absent from Easttown Township to vote! It comes to your home before the election.
Some people say, “I don’t feel like I’ve voted unless I go to the poll,” and “I don’t mind waiting in line and I enjoy getting out to vote.” If that’s you, please consider this:
1. During a pandemic such as COVID-19, VBM is the surest and safest way to vote.
2. VBM eliminates the percentage of people who intend to, but never get to the polls due to a bad day at work, illness, staying late at work, having to go out of town at the last minute, a death in the family, or other tragic event including drama at home.
3. You don’t ever have to wait in a long line! During some elections, particularly in presidential year elections, the lines can be long.
4. You won’t be contributing to the line that might turn others away! While you may be willing to wait in line for an extended time to vote, others are not! Shorter lines increase the percentage of votes.
5. Vote in the comfort of your home at the time of your choosing. This is a deliberative, civilized process and the way human beings ought to vote.
Whether in your underwear, with a glass of wine, over dinner, or 2AM in the morning, you can vote when it’s convenient for you. Imagine this scenario:
“You get your ballot in the mail several weeks before the election. One night the following week, after dinner, you and your family gather around the dining room table. On one side, you have your ballots. On the other, you have candidate’s information, mailing, voter guides and articles from your favorite publications.
You go through the ballot vote by vote and let everyone at the table ask questions. You take your time discussing the opposing arguments, allowing the kids to ask questions, checking the candidate’s websites. When you’re done, you put your ballot in the special provided envelope and drop it in the mailbox. That’s it.
You get to do this at your leisure, not during proscribed hours. You’re not subject to the vagaries of weather or traffic and don’t have to show any ID or wait in any lines. You have plenty of time to research and mull over each vote.”
7. You’ll probably have fewer phone calls and door knocks from campaigns. Once your ballot has been returned to the Chester County Board of Elections, your name and phone number should disappear from candidates call and walk lists. You’ll like receiving fewer calls and it also benefits the campaigns as they’ll have fewer people to follow up with as they get closer to Election Day.
8. Enrollment in VBM doesn’t mean you forfeit going to the polls if you change your mind. Simply bring your VBM ballot to your precinct where they will officially void it allowing you to vote there. This is often misunderstood, but so long as you have the blank absentee ballot to hand in, you should have no problem voting! If you lost or misplace the ballot, you may be asked to sign an affidavit stating so.
So what are you waiting for?
P.S. When you fill out your application to vote by mail in our primary, you can also sign up to automatically receive your ballot for the November general election by mail.
