I have been voting for 50 years and this is the first time I feel compelled to vote early. I am a strong supporter of the postal service, but with all the uncertainty and delays surrounding the post office this election, I will not be mailing in my ballot.

PA is not an early-voting state in the traditional sense, but you can still vote early, and I encourage you to do so for several reasons. The current administration in Washington has tried to purge voter registrations, limit mail-in voting (even though the current president votes this way), and threatens that there will be military or homeland security personnel at polling locations.  Most of these efforts have been stymied by the courts, but some of the damage has already been done.

Your vote is your voice and I am asking you to make your voice heard by voting early.  Here are two ways to do that in PA:

Same-day voting: Go to the Bureau of Elections office in the county courthouse and ask for a mail-in ballot form. Complete that form right there and give it to the Elections staff.  They will verify your voting information and give you a ballot, which you complete in the office and hand back to the staff.  You have voted early!

Mail-in ballot: Complete as soon as you receive your ballot.  Instead of mailing the ballot, go to the courthouse and drop your ballot in the ballot box right inside the courthouse front door. If you are not in Wayne County, check with your elections office for the location of the ballot box.

I have worked at the polls for the last four elections and know the process is secure, but I am still voting early.  One other bonus to voting early: campaigns will see you voted early and direct their last-minute calls/mailers to those who have not voted yet!

Early voting is available from October 1 to October 27.  Make your plan and vote early.  Thank you.

Julie Pease
Lake Ariel, PA