By Gail Marsh
This isn’t a sponsored political ad. In fact, no specific candidate—local or regional—is endorsed here. Your political party affiliation makes no difference whatsoever. The reason for this article? I just realized today that our RVing plans for October and November will find us camping far from our stix-n-brix location on voting day. That means if we intend to vote in the upcoming election, we’ll need to figure out our game plan. Read on to find out how to vote when RVing.
Too important to miss
November 5th is the day when U.S. citizens speak. We speak through our vote. Voting day has always been a very big deal to me. My parents always voted. It was like a sacred duty—a patriotic obligation, never to be taken lightly or dismissed as optional.
As an educator, I taught my students the importance of voting and frequently participated in Scholastic Book’s “students vote” programs. I proudly wore my “I voted!” sticker provided by our local election board. I encouraged my friends and family members to “get out there and vote” as well. Voting was (and still is) too important to miss!
Voting research and how to vote when RVing
Once I realized that our travels would take us away from our local voting location on November 5, I began researching our voting options. Here’s what I discovered:
Absentee voting or voting by mail
- Interchangeable terms. Absentee voting is synonymous with voting by mail/drop box. According to the U.S. Government website › absentee-voting, it says, “Absentee voting allows you to vote before Election Day by mail or drop box. Although every state has absentee voting, rules on who can take part vary.” (Hmmm. That’s important to find out!)
- Valid excuse. Many states require you to present a valid reason for wanting to vote absentee. While the list of reasons varies from state to state, most places will recognize “Being on vacation outside of your county or city of residence on Election Day.” (That perfectly describes our situation.)
- Important deadline. You’ll want to know and follow your state’s absentee ballot deadline. That way you can be sure to get your ballot dropped off or mailed in time. Pay special attention to whether your ballot must be postmarked or received by the elections office at that date. Note that some states also have ballot drop boxes, should you prefer that option.
Early voting
- Terminology. Depending on the state, early voting is also known as advanced voting or in-person absentee voting. Forty-six states, as well as several U.S. territories, allow for early in-person voting. This means you go in person to a specified location to cast your early vote. (In our situation, that place is our county courthouse.)
- Time frame for early voting. Most states do not require an excuse to vote early. Some states require the voter to request an absentee ballot to be able to cast an early vote. The time frame for early voting can be as long as 46 days before the election, or as little as three days prior to Election Day. Check with your local election board to discover the early voting time frame for your state.
It’s important
I’m feeling much better now that I know the voting rules for my state and how I can vote when RVing. We plan to cast our early in-person votes at our county courthouse before our RV trip begins. Absentee voting or early voting might seem a bit confusing. If you need assistance, contact your state or local election office. Folks there will be happy to help!
EDITOR’S NOTE: All unnecessary political comments will be deleted.
##RVT1178
Gail is correct. Absentee voting rules varies a lot depending on your domicile. (In other words, the state & municipality – and often physical street address recognized as your ‘permanent’ residency. Usually, this is the single location where all your official (read government) mail is sent.
Michigan originally had a number of restrictions on who could obtain an absentee ballot – for us it was a minimum age. It meant we had to physically be at our permanent address to vote, and delayed our snowbird departure, until well, the snow was already flying. While we would qualify under the old rules, Michigan no longer has qualifications beyond those for any voter to obtain an absentee ballot
We have been full time for almost six years now, and although our domicile states have both allowed mail in voting, we’ve struggled to actually be able to vote. In the last general election, our ballots didn’t get to us in time because they had to be forwarded from where I thought we would be at the time. Another year, only my ballot arrived and not my husband’s. My fingers are crossed for this Year!
Thank you, Gail! Great information and a good reminder. Have a great week and safe travels!
I voted on 7 Oct. The first day for in person absentee voting in MT. I had called them several weeks before and asked when/how I could vote since I was leaving the state on 8 Oct. They told me to come in on the 7th instead of them try to send the ballot where I would be.