The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election is a pivotal election in our Nation’s History. Remember it is also important to vote in the “Down Ballot” races, such as U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and, of course, your state and local offices. This election is likely to affect our taxes, health care, immigration policies, police departments, whether we import products or make products here, etc. There have rarely been two presidential candidates and political parties with more opposing views of what is good for America. The issues in this election are so divided that it is often toxic to even discuss them in public. It is our duty as citizens to exercise our right to vote. That way we, as citizens, can decide what direction is best for our country and begin to heal the divisions in our society.
If you are not a registered voter, you cannot legally vote in the upcoming election on November 3rd. Here is a list of local election offices in our area where you can register:
KANSAS:
Johnson County Election office Phone: 913-715-6800
2101 East Kansas City Rd.
Olathe, Kansas 66061
Wyandotte County Election office Phone: 913-573-8500
850 North State Ave.
Kansas City, Kansas 66101
MISSOURI:
Kansas City Election Board Phone: 816-842-4820
30 West Pershing Road Suite 2800
Kansas City, Missouri 64108
Jackson County Election Board Phone: 816-325-4600
215 N. Liberty Street – P.O. Box 296
Independence, Missouri 64051
There are three ways a registered voter can vote in the 2020 election:
VOTING BY MAIL
Some states have been using this method for years. In this process, massive amounts of blank ballots are sent out to every voter in the state. The people who receive them fill them out, sign them and mail them back. Mail-in voting is being encouraged by some, because it decreases the voter’s exposure to Covid-19 since they don’t have to go to their polling place in person. However, many states have never used this method and are legitimately concerned about whether they could make it work if they try it for the first time in a presidential election. There were several states that tried it for the first time in their recent primary voting. It created problems trying to determine whether the addresses were correct and matched the signature on the ballot. In some states up to 20% of the mail-in ballots were rejected because they had not been filled out properly.
VOTING BY ABSENTEE BALLOT
This is a voting procedure that has been used successfully by almost every state for many years. When voting by Absentee Ballot, a voter calls their Election Office and requests an absentee ballot be sent to them. The election official verifies the voter’s name, address, and that they are registered to vote. Then the election official mails a ballot to the voter at the voter’s home address. When the voter receives the ballot, the voter fills out all the information required, votes for the candidate of their choice, signs the ballot and sends it back to the election office. This has been much easier to handle than sending out thousands of blank ballots to unknown people.
Please be aware that there are two other organizations who are sending out Absentee ballots this year.
They are the Center for Voter Information (CVI) and the Voter Participation Center (VPC). They are both politically funded organizations located in Washington D.C. The absentee ballots they send are very similar to the ones you would receive from your local election office. They intend to send 65 million ballots out to voters in 27 states whether the voters requested them or not. This has caused a lot of confusion here in Kansas. One person received a second mail-in ballot and mailed it in thinking there must have been something wrong with the first one. When the third one arrived, she called her local election office. They told her this situation was causing a lot of confusion, and assured her she only needed to vote once.
VOTING IN PERSON AT YOUR ASSIGNED POLLING PLACE
This is the method we have been using since our country was founded. If you want to make sure your vote is counted, this is the most reliable way to vote. You will receive a notice in the mail from the election office telling you where your voting place is. When your voting place opens, you simply go there with a photo ID, they confirm your identity and show you how to use the voting machines. When you vote at the polls, you get to see the confirmation of how you voted, approve it and send it into the system yourself. You may even get a little “I Voted” sticker to wear home. It is reliable and pretty easy.
Many of us at Financial Professionals, Inc. voted at the polls wearing our masks during the recent primary. Everything seemed to go very smoothly and safely. Don’t let your voice not be heard. Get out there and vote in this crucial election. God Bless America!
Sources: KCStar.com, KCEB.org, jcebmo.org, jocoelection.org, wycokck.org