Thread by @grace_panetta

New: A couple months ago, I put out a guide on 5 mistakes to avoid while voting by mail. Now with 12 days left to vote in the 2020 presidential election, here are my top 5 tips and best practices to follow for voting in-person early or on Election Day: businessinsider.com/5-tips-for-vot…

If you haven’t requested a mail ballot yet, it’s likely too late to do so, and you should vote in-person, @beckerdavidj says. He recommends voting early in-person if you can — early voting is currently ongoing in most states, and is a great option
businessinsider.com/when-is-early-…

Tip #1: Double-check the location and hours of your in-person voting site, which may have changed since the last time you voted. And for early voting, the hours may be different than on Election Day, so look at that ahead of time and make a plan in advance to beat the crowds

The highest demand at in-person voting sites is usually on weekends, first thing in the morning before the normal workday, and at the end of the day. Going to vote mid-week and/or mid-day will likely have shorter waits (early voting gives you the flexibility to plan this stuff)

Tip #2: Be sure to bring your ID to the polls if necessary — voters in 34 states + some first-time voters in others have to bring some form of ID. What form of ID (photo or non-photo) you need varies by state, I have a guide for that here:
businessinsider.com/voter-identifi…

Tip #3: You can vote efficiently as possible by looking up the races on your sample ballot ahead of time and/or bringing it to the polls with you — your vote has the biggest impact if you vote not just for the top of the ticket but in all the down-ballot/state/local races too

Tip #4: If you’ve received a mail ballot already, experts and officials recommend you return that ballot (there’s still plenty of time!) But nearly every state allows you to also vote in-person if you’ve requested/received a mail ballot, per @voteathome voteathome.medium.com/can-i-vote-in-…

Rules vary by state, but in general, if you have your ballot with you, you should bring it to the polls so it can be voided and you have a better chance of being able to vote a normal ballot, not a provisional. But again, you should pick 1 vote method and stick to it if possible

And finally, tip #5 is the most important one: to keep you and your community safe, wear a mask, keep as much distance in line as possible, wash your hands, and be very nice + say thank you to your incredibly hardworking poll workers and officials! businessinsider.com/5-tips-for-vot…