Rachel Maddow warned viewers on Monday that President Donald Trump plans to interfere with midterm election results, following the Supreme Court’s recent 7-2 ruling against his executive order instructing the US Postal Service (USPS) to block states from distributing and collecting mail-in ballots.
Trump’s order, which he signed last March, would’ve directed the USPS to refuse to deliver mail-in ballots to anyone whose information hadn’t been properly submitted to a new state citizenship list maintained by the federal government.
“Trump is counting on confusion, uncertainty, and a lack of confidence in the mail-in voting system to suppress voter turnout,” she said.
I mean, if you’re in certain states, yeah. CA provides verification for mail in so the advice is more to do it early, get verification, and if you don’t get it, follow up. You can still be very lazy in CA and your vote will be fine- just make sure you do vote.
But swing states (which includes Texas this time around lol) and blue districts in red states should be extra careful. I’d still vote as early as possible, in person or by mail if confirmation exists, just in case interference happens on election day (e.g. ICE intimidation).
I’m in CA. If you have the luxury, the polling districts local to me have ballot dropoff locations a couple weeks leading up to the election. My neighbor has been a poll worker since we moved here and she says it’s fairly standard statewide. If I recall reading in prior elections, there should be one in your town/city hall. I’d rather deliver it myself than trust usps
Up in Washington where we also have 100% mail in voting and there are ballot drop boxes all over the place. I usually walk up the street to the public library to drop off my ballot.
I’m in CA and I agree it’ll probably be fine, and I’d know because of the verification system. But the major pain in the ass that would be required to follow up if the USPS decides not to deliver my ballot vs. the probably unnecessary, but very easy, route of dropping it off at a collection center is no contest. I’ll still wait for my mail ballot so I can fill it out at my leisure and take my time with all of the information about ballot propositions available to me, but I’ll take it to a drop point after.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll probably do the drop box too. Urban areas have plenty. But for everyone else, it’s good to know you can get verification.