WHEN WE ALL VOTE!

---

Each state decides how to conduct its own elections. Rules about registering to vote, and the ways voters can lawfully cast their ballots, are different in each state.

Election Administration Is Decentralized

The administration of US elections rests almost entirely in the hands of state and local administrators. The federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 established minimum standards of election administration—such as for provisional ballots and voting systems—while leaving control of almost all operational decisions in the hands of state and local authorities.

Source: Bipartisan Policy Center

You should check your voter registration even if you’ve voted before.

Check Your Registration Now

All Americans should check their voter registration now and update it if needed, so long as the deadline hasn’t passed.You should check your registration even if you have lived at your address for a long time, voted in the last election, or registered earlier this year.

Updates May Be Needed for Different Reasons

Voter registration lists are always changing. While there are processes in every state to protect against inaccurate changes or removals, eligible voters are sometimes removed without their knowledge or permission.

Make Sure You’re Ready to Vote

Voters can fix problems with their voter registration if they do it before their state’s voter registration deadline.You may be able to update your registration on Election Day. But it’s always safer and easier to check and update your registration ahead of time.

Source: Bipartisan Policy Center

Both voting in person and voting by mail have a long history of trustworthiness in the US. Voter fraud is extremely rare across voting methods.

Voter Fraud is Extremely Rare Across Voting Methods

Each voter’s identity and eligibility to vote are verified before their ballot is counted. Oregon, the first state to adopt a vote by mail system, has averaged fewer than one case of fraud per year for two decades (source: Heritage Foundation). Claims of voter fraud are investigated by authorities and can result in criminal charges.

History and Expansion of Voting by Mail

Americans have been voting by mail since the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln wanted to give soldiers a way to vote from the battlefield. US troops overseas routinely vote by mail, and several states now hold their elections almost entirely by mail.

Mail Ballots are Resistant to Fraud

Mail ballots require extra steps for validation after they’re returned by the voter, such as signature matching and ballot tracking.Once validated, the ballot is separated from its envelope and sorted for counting. Mail ballots that meet eligibility and validity requirements are counted in every election.

Verification at the Polling Location

Government records say which voters have already requested mail ballots. If there are any issues or irregularities, voters are usually offered a provisional ballot that requires additional verification.If a voter submits more than one mail ballot or tries to vote in person after already voting by mail, only one ballot will be counted. Using both voting methods is illegal.

Source: Bipartisan Policy Center

Observers of the vote counting process are required to act peacefully and lawfully, and not interfere with the process.

Election Observation

Observation of the vote counting process promotes confidence and integrity. It ensures that all rules and procedures are followed fairly and that no one candidate or political party is disadvantaged.

Public Viewing

Many local election officials livestream the vote counting process, so you may be able to watch live. Check with your local election official for additional details.

Election Observers

Different states have different rules for nominating or accrediting observers, who usually receive training before observation takes place. Monitors can be partisan or nonpartisan and are typically nominated and trained by their party or group before observation takes place. Regardless of any party affiliation, observers are required to act in a neutral capacity when observing.

Rules and Regulations for Election Observers

All observers are expected to follow all state regulations and attentively monitor the vote counting process. It’s unlawful to obstruct or interfere with the verification process.

Source: Bipartisan Policy Center

Vote recounts and legal challenges are a regular feature of elections and must take place under established guidelines and processes.

Recounts Have Rules

Recounts are a regular feature of the voting process with clearly-defined rules.

State Laws Dictate How Recounts Proceed

State laws determine how and when post-election recounts can proceed. In some states, recounts are automatic when the vote difference between the first and second place candidates falls under a certain threshold. In other states, candidates may request a recount in certain circumstances.Recounts are conducted by election officials, in line with explicit state guidelines. In tight races, recounts serve to increase public confidence in the election result.

Legal Challenges

States vary in how they conduct elections, but all elections must be administered in accordance with state and federal laws and the US Constitution. Legal action is the last resort for candidates or parties who believe that a state or federal law or the Constitution was violated during the conduct of the election. Courts, not candidates or parties, determine the outcome of any legal challenge.

Courts Don’t Decide Who Wins

All legal action occurs within the judicial system through established, transparent processes. Courts may rule on the application of a state or federal law, which may impact the ballots that are ultimately counted. They don’t choose a winner.Election officials count and certify the vote as required by their state’s laws and in accordance with any court rulings.

Source: Bipartisan Policy Center

The Voting Information Center contains non-partisan information from multiple sources. Visit your state’s election website for official government information. To learn more about what you see in the Voting Information Center, visit the Help Center. (via FaceBook)