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How to simplify your voting experience

With political discussion and debate at a feverish pitch, we’re just days away from a number of important elections, both locally and nationally. While I’m not going to get political here (except to ask, “Uh…is there a door #3?”), I will say that I think it’s important to look at voting as a duty and a right (in that order) instead of a burden or chore. That being said, I know life is busy and carving out time to vote on a workday can be difficult. Here are some steps to help make your voting experience a little simpler and smoother.

Find your polling location in less than 30 seconds

Google has provided an easy solution to find your voting location. Using a special version of Google Maps, you can type in your residential address and, voila, not only the address of your polling location, but the fastest route to get there, information on obtaining an absentee ballot, how long you have to mail your ballot in and links to find out whether or not you’re registered.

Save time by voting early

Many states have the option of voting early at select polling locations. (Here in Utah early voting runs from October 21-31.) The idea behind this is to spread out the crowds a bit and allow people to schedule voting around their lives instead of the other way around. The unprecedented turnouts expected for this election may slow things down a bit, even for early voters. If you find yourself standing in line on an early vote day, just keep reminding yourself of how much crazier it’s going to be on November 4th.

Know who to contact

While responsibility may vary by state, in Utah the lieutenant governor is the one who oversees elections so all questions about voting can be directed to his office. If that’s not the case for your state, contact your governor’s office and they can point you in the right direction.

I’ve called the governor’s office here before and got right through to a helpful lady who pointed me in the right direction. Don’t be afraid or intimidated to make the call. Remember, they’re called public servants for a reason – they’re there to serve you as a concerned citizen.

Pre-vote

It’s a good idea to know who you’re going to vote for before you get in the booth. Part of this is not having any surprises on the ballot. States mail out voter information pamphlets with information on all the candidates and issues. Study that ahead of time and circle who you want to vote for. Then bring it to the polls and voting will be as easy as checking names off a list.

Utah has a site called LeaveYourPrint.com. After entering your name, address and birthdate, the site will tell you whether or not you’re registered, which party you’re registered under, provide a mock ballot with links to each candidate and issue, and has the address of your designated polling location. It’s a one-stop-shop for pretty much everything you need to know before you hit the polls. Check with your respective states (governor’s offices or county clerks offices are a good place to start) to see if they have something similar.

Schedule it – now

Perhaps one of the easiest things you can do to ensure you make it to the polls is schedule a specific time to go do it. Put it on your calendar: Vote, 3:30-4:30, and the address. Set an alarm or reminder. Treat it like any other meeting that you wouldn’t blow off. Besides, don’t you want one of those “I voted stickers”?

What did I forget?

I’m sure there are many other ways to simplify the voting experience. What are some of your tips? Also, what are some of the reasons you haven’t voted in the past? Please share in the comments.

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Thursday, October 23rd, 2008 at 7:00 am and is filed under Politics, Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.