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Our Constitution grants us many rights, but one of the most important is the right to vote and having the ability to elect our officials. This year, the right to vote is threatened because of the pandemic. As a society, there are options for voting and making our voices heard.

Generally, when an election happens, most of us go to the polls to cast our vote.  This year, in-person voting will happen on November 3. However, because of the pandemic, many people are making the choice to vote early. How does one go about voting early?

To vote early, people have two options. The first option is voting via an absentee ballot. This requires that a person contact their local voting office and request an absentee ballot. In Iowa, this is done through the office of the Secretary of State. For Iowans who did this for the 2020 election, their ballots were sent to them the week of October 5. Voters will complete their ballots, sign them, put them in a secrecy envelope, and send them back to be counted by the state auditor’s office.

Another option is to vote via absentee in-person voting. Other states call it early voting. This means that voters must go to the state auditor’s office and complete an absentee ballot in-person. The voters then drop it in the box themselves. People will also more than likely have to wait in small line.

Voting early has advantages and disadvantages. Advantages for voting early are that it allows people to vote in a safer way because of COVID, as they can avoid lines and avoid unforeseen problems on election day. Early voting can also help on election day so that there is not as much waiting at the polls and takes away stress from poll workers. Voting early can increase voter turnout, which may make a difference in the outcome of the election.

Amy Pettit, a Grand View speech lecturer said that voting ahead of time and being done early is an advantage to avoid the risks of COVID. Professor Bryan McQuide said that it is nice to not have to worry about lines for voting and to also avoid COVID concerns if you plan to vote early.

Some disadvantages of voting early are that voters cannot change their minds once the votes are in or votes may not count if a candidate drops out. People who choose to vote early also may not have time to research their candidate thoroughly in case something comes up or happens to the candidate.

GV Music Lecturer Charles Miranda said that losing your vote or having it go uncounted were things he considered to be disadvantages of early voting. Pettit agreed that she would be worried about her vote not being counted.   

Political Science Professor Bryan McQuide said there are few reasons a vote might go uncounted.

“You could miss a step during the process or misread the rules,” McQuide said.

Not voting can have consequences. Remember to make your voice heard and vote. Whether it’s voting in person on election day or voting by mail or by in person absentee, voting is important. It could affect the future.