Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

Voting During COVID-19

Voting will look different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, it is still our right to fill out a ballot. With this being a presidential year, the expectation, as history has shown, is that voter turnout will be higher than non-presidential election years. We will most likely still be affected by the pandemic in November, so what are our options for voting? Well, there are quite a few options, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State Office. Regardless of your political persuasion or feelings about voting, here are some options to consider:
Vote in person at your local polling place on November 3;
Vote early by mail using an absentee ballot;
Vote early in person using an absentee ballot – contact your county election office for more information; or,
Agent delivery – this final-seven-days-before-election option is for individuals who reside in a nursing home, assisted living, group home or other similar types of residence or who are homebound.
Elections offices will be working on outreach to educate the public on different forms of voting. They are encouraging people to vote early using an absentee ballot.
If you have questions on voting, you can review information at MNVotes.org or contact the Secretary of State’s elections line at 651-215-1440. Once again, this is a right that we have, and we encourage everyone to get out to vote.

Jason W. Swanson, HSE
Executive Director, Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging