This message is from Ellen Pinnes and The Disability Coalition.

As we’ve discussed in previous emails, you have several options for how to cast your vote in the coming election.  You can wait and vote the old-fashioned way on Election Day, but you don’t have to – you can vote early starting today (October 8), or you can skip in-person voting altogether and vote by absentee ballot.  Which will YOU choose? 

Here are some things to think about as you decide:  

• If you don’t feel comfortable being around other people due to health concerns, or don’t like waiting in lines, using an absentee ballot means you can mark your ballot at home and skip the lines and the crowds by mailing it back or dropping it off at a collection point (county clerk’s office, polling location, designated dropbox).  
• Remember, you can return the ballot yourself or have a caregiver or a member of your family or household do it – that includes a spouse or domestic partner, children, parents, grandchildren, grandparents, siblings or a person with whom you have a continuing personal relationship.
• If you mail your ballot back, give it plenty of time to make sure it arrives by Election Day. 
• Absentee ballots are a safe and valid way to cast your vote.  They are (and have been for many years) a legitimate method of voting.   
• If you worry that a mailed ballot may not arrive in time or will be lost or rejected for some reason, you may prefer to vote in person. 
• Early voting is spread out over several weeks (October 8 to November 2) so there are less likely to be crowds and long lines than on Election Day. 
• Voting early means you have more options for when you go to vote and you can choose a day and time that work best for you.  You don’t have to worry that weather conditions or illness will interfere with getting to the polling place on Election Day and prevent you from voting.  If you’re counting on someone else for transportation or for assistance in marking your ballot, it may be easier to schedule if you can be more flexible about when you go to the polling place.
• Voting is a key part of citizenship, and some people like to go to the polls on Election Day to share the day with their neighbors.  And you may be able to get a free ride that day, either on public transit or through organizations helping people get to the polls.

Don’t forget: 

In order to vote, you need to be registered!  October 8th (28 days before Election Day) is the last day to register online, by mail, or through an authorized Third-Party Registration Agent.  But during the early voting period (October 8 to November 2) or on Election Day, you can register when you go to the polls to vote.  Go to NMVote.org for more information on registering or checking the status of your registration, how to get an absentee ballot, and where you can go to vote early or on Election Day.  And if you decide to vote by absentee ballot, the deadline to request that ballot is October 22 (fourteen days before Election Day). Your vote is your voice!  We at The Disability Coalition encourage you to make it heard this year. 

The Disability Coalition is funded in part by the  New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Council  through Federal Program funding.  Additional funding is provided by  The Arc of New Mexico, Disability Rights New Mexico, the Independent Living Resource Center, and New Vistas. If you would like to receive emails from The Disability Coalition, please send a message to EPinnes@msn.com  with “subscribe” in the subject line.