Election 2020: What D.C. Voters Need to Know
By • October 5, 2020 0 1488
Updated Oct. 5.
It is now 30 days and counting until Election Day and early voting has already begun. And contrary to the wishful thinking put out by the administration, those ballots are secure, your privacy is protected and the likelihood of voter fraud is infinitesimal. (No, you cannot vote twice. There are proven safeguards in place to flag and prevent this.)
Ballot boxes from the D.C. Board of Elections showed up over the weekend in front of 25 libraries — ready to accept voters’ sealed ballot envelopes. Ballot boxes will be outside, safe and secure and emptied daily. You may drop off your completed mail-in ballot in any ballot drop box at any time before 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. You can also drop off your ballot at any early voting site between Tuesday, Oct. 27, and Monday, Nov. 2, or at a polling place on Election Day.
Still, this year — already precedent-shattering in so many ways — will bring about changes to the way we’ve traditionally cast our ballots.
Here’s what you need to know.
The DC Board of Elections is your go-to source for the most up-to-date and unimpeachable information.
In Washington, D.C., early voting begins on Oct. 27 and runs through Nov. 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. All registered voters will automatically receive mail-in ballots in early October.
Visit https://earlyvoting.dcboe.org to identify in-person early voting centers.
Ward 2 residents can vote at the Capital One Arena or Hardy Middle School or drop off a completed and signed mail ballot at any of the 90 sites located throughout the city. Here’s the list: https://www.dcboe.org/Voters/Where-to-Vote/Mail-Ballot-Drop-Sites
Election Day is Nov. 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are voting in person and are registered and in line by 8 p.m., you will be allowed to cast your vote no matter how late it is. If you check in at 8:01, you’re out of luck.
New in 2020: You DO NOT have to vote at your previously assigned polling place. You can vote in person or drop off a completed and signed ballot anywhere in the District of Columbia.
Locations for early and election day voting centers and mail ballot drop boxes can be found here: https://dcgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/nearby/index.html?appid=763576faa0b1470ca0559c377cf3b497
All this assumes, of course, that you are registered to vote. Check or update your registration here: https://www.dcboe.org/Voters/Register-To-Vote/Register-to-Vote
Three other sources for voter information:
Basic info: https://www.facebook.com/hubs/voting_information_center/621651165419832
Plan your vote: https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/plan-your-vote-state-by-state-guide-voting-by-mail-early-in-person-voting-election/
Voting during the pandemic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgfh9Vn-AGY&feature=youtu.be
This year, the stakes couldn’t be higher, yet voting could not be easier or more convenient. In the words of the late Rep. John Lewis, “The vote is precious. It’s almost sacred, so go out and vote like you never voted before.”
