A Message From George Takei

[Rubyshoo]

Link to tweet

[GreenWave]

1. Good advice from the future!

[hlthe2b]

2. Vote early if you can, especially if you need to do so in person.

Colorado is blessed with automatic mail ballots that can be returned weeks ahead by mail (not me, although our mail service reliability is not horrible) or one of the several highly secured drop boxes.

I will say, (paranoid or not) that in many areas of the country-- if I were to vote in person when there were likely to be crowds--say on election day-- I'd be likely to carry my mini keychain pepper spray in my pocket. I certainly hope MAGA will restrain themselves, but even that little bit of protection would make me feel better if threatened heading to my car. (Yeah, I know... guns, but... one can only hope that level of violence is not likely).

[AllaN01Bear]

6. callifornia has vote by mail ballots state wide . where does it say that we have to vote in a fixed location?

[hlthe2b]

7. Huh? I don't follow...

[DinahMoeHum]

3. In NY state, it's called an Affidavit Ballot.

I say this as a poll worker since 2018.

One way or another - your vote will count.

[AllaN01Bear]

5. correct .

[AllaN01Bear]

4. ding

[Likeasheep]

8. Provisional Ballots

As of March 2024, Idaho and Minnesota did not provide for provisional voting. New Hampshire provides for provisional balloting only when a voter does not provide the required documentation at the time of registration, and North Dakota provides for provisional balloting only in the event of a court order extending polling hours. I was an election judge and they don't count provisional ballots. They ignore them......

[SunSeeker]

13. We definitely count provisional ballots in California, once they're confirmed.

That's why it takes over a month to get the final tally in California elections.

[SCantiGOP]

9. Here's how it works in S.C.

You can request a provisional ballot, but you have to go (I think within 48 hours) to the Election Commission office in the County seat (which could be 20 miles from your home) and provide proof that you were eligible.
I would assume some form of this operates in any state that allows provisional ballots.

[rubbersole]

10. In Florida checking your registration early (and often) is important.

Ratfuckery is expected.

[MagickMuffin]

15. Doing the same, Texan here

Be Proactive is my battle cry!

[wiggs]

20. Happened in 2000, which set in motion change for the worse throughout the world, in many ways. nt

[calimary]

11. Kicking this for higher visibility.

[AlexSFCA]

12. do all states have an easy way to check voter registration?

Few states have it as easy as California when it comes to voting - automatic registration, automatic permanent vote by mail, ballot tracking including automated e-mail confirmation after it’s been counted, etc.

Do all states have an easy way to check your voter registration online?

Is it better for people in voter suppression states such as GA, TX, etc. register as independent rather than dem to minimize voter purges? Or may be even register as gop but always vote dem? They are less likely to prevent you from voting if you are registered gop? Sounds horrible, I know, I’m just curious what’s the most practical since voting is incredibly cumbersome in some states.

[central scrutinizer]

19. In Oregon your signature on the ballot envelope

Is compared to your signature on your voter registration card. If your ballot is challenged you have to go the election office and clear it up. You are mailed your ballot three weeks before Election Day. The best proactive strategy is to vote early then check online in a few days that your ballot has been counted.

[MagickMuffin]

14. I'd like to suggest checking online first before asking for provisional ballot

Make sure you aren’t being told false information. It happened to me before and I insisted that I was on the rolls. They eventually found my name. Also this election was held at a strip mall Enforcer office. It made me feel uncomfortable 😣


Be proactive

Keep checking your registration to make sure you’re still registered, and check online before asking for a provisional ballot, as it usually is a meaningless vote. They generally are not counted.

[Trueblue Texan]

16. But it's way better to make sure there are no impediments to your voting status!

Provisional ballots are there to ease tempers...if you cast one you may have to jump through a bunch of hoops within a limited amount of time after the election for it to be counted.

It's much smarter to make sure you are registered with the name and address that matches your government ID. You do not want to have to vote provisional if you can avoid it!

[Warpy]

17. If the polling place is empty, making a stink also helps

which is how I got a real ballot when the GOP tried to voter cage me in a year I'd voted in the primary.

They knew if they tried to stonewall me, my hell raising would ratchet up by at least a factor of ten so they called downtown, got my voting history sorted, and apologized "for the error" (yeah, right).

If that doesn't work, then get a provisional ballot and make sure you redo your registration. A call to the ACLU wouldn't be amiss.

The GOP has been convicted and fined for voter caging multiple times but they do the same thing every election year. They know they can't get elected to anything if we vote.

[phoenix_rising]

18. George Takei is a national treasure!!! n/t