Kaitlyn Hart
Life Editor
As I’m sure you’re already aware, voting is more important now than ever before. It is up to us, the voting public of the United States, to stand up for what we think is right, and vote for the candidate who we think will lead us to a better nation. I’m not here to tell you who to vote for, but I am here to make sure that you make your voice heard. That being said, there are a lot of mistakes you can make while filling out your ballot that can prevent your voice from being heard. Here is how to avoid them, and participate in the potentially biggest turning point in our nation in a very long time.
Make sure you are registered to vote.
Your vote will be disqualified if you are not registered to vote. Make sure that your registration has not expired and that nothing has gone wrong before you cast your vote. Thankfully, Idaho offers online voter registration. Check your registration at idahovotes.gov. You can register by mail to vote in Idaho by printing a voter registration form, filling it out, and mailing it to your local election office. You can also register to vote in person, on election day if you prefer, but please be cautious of COVID-19 protocols.
Read the Instructions.
Depending on your state, there can be different instructions for your ballot. Make sure you are using the right color pen (usually blue or black), make sure you put your ballot inside of the right combination of envelopes and make sure to drop your ballot off or mail it to the right destination.
Don’t forget to sign your name.
Believe it or not, one of the most common mistakes that people make when sending in absentee ballots is forgetting to sign their name on the exterior envelope. Without your signature, your ballot will not be counted.
Make sure your signature matches previous signatures.
Some states, including Idaho, compare each voters’ signatures on their ballots to the signatures on their registration paperwork as a way to verify their identity and rule out any voter fraud. To make this simple, always sign your name the same way whether that is in cursive or in print.
Use the correct envelopes.
Never, ever use any envelope that did not come with your ballot. The ballot is specifically marked for you and you only, and you need to use this envelope to mail in your ballot or drop it off at your designated ballot box drop off
Keep it clean.
Things happen, and sometimes your ballot can get damaged. Whether it’s spilling some coffee on it, tearing the page or accidentally getting makeup on your ballot, make sure to keep your ballot as clean as possible. Ballots are counted using a scantron machine, and the scantron will get confused if there are marks on the page that it cannot read. If your ballot gets damaged, contact your county elections office so that your vote gets counted in time.
Fill in the boxes completely.
It is important to completely fill in the box next to the candidate that you decide to vote for. Again, the ballots are counted using a scantron machine, and if you do not completely fill in the box or bubble, your vote will not be counted and your voice will not be heard.
Return all of the pages.
If your ballot consists of multiple pages, make sure to return every page when mailing in or dropping off your ballot. Even though you do not need to vote for every category, it is required that you return every page that came with your ballot.
This has the potential to be the most important election of our lives so please vote. It doesn’t take long, and in voting for your elected officials, you are paying respect to all of those who’ve come before you that fought for your right to vote and your right to make your voice heard.
The last day for early voting in Idaho is October 30. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020. Visit IdahoVotes.gov for information on voting in Idaho such as polling locations, volunteer opportunities and more.
