A Fresh Story

Kids can totally come vote with you and come into the booth with you until they are 18! Some states DO have some restrictions around how many children you can bring into the booth with you, so contact your local board of elections if you need to bring more than 1 child in the voting booth with you. Talk to your child about who you are voting for and why you vote. Voting is an exceptionally important part of our democratic system, talk about this in an age appropriate way with you little voter! And if you get a sticker for voting at your polling location, let them wear it!

Learn more here: https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/blog/what-ifi-have-my-kid-with-me-while-voting

Practice run, baby! If you’re a nervous parker or get anxious about going to new locations, do a practice run! You might be limited on time on election day, so go take a quiet Saturday and go scope out the site. Polling locations are often public spaces like schools, community centers or fire houses— look up your polling site, grab a coffee and check it out. Map a few parking spots, clock the entrances, even time how long it will take you to get there - from your home, work, your kids school or day care. I promise, it will make you feel better.

Learn more here: https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/blog/what-ifim-anxious-about-finding-my-polling-location

What if I don’t know if I need identification to vote?

Voter ID laws vary [wildly] state to state. Luckily the government has made this handy table with ID laws for each state. Some states need no ID, some states require any government issued ID and some you can even use a utility bill. If you DO need your ID make sure it is current and not expired. Make sure you know where your ID is and it’s ready to accompany you to the polls.

Learn more here: https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/blog/what-ifi-dont-know-if-i-need-id-to-vote

What if I want to wear my candidate’s name to vote? Bit of bad news for you on that one — you can’t appear to be endorsing a candidate or campaigning at the polls. The distance from the polling location to where one is allowed to campaign and/or endorse vary state to state so it’s better to ditch your candidate’s name and rock some red, white and/or blue or wear a shirt that simply promotes voting — which is totally allowed. For specifics check out this chart from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Learn more here: https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/blog/what-ifi-want-to-wear-a-shirt-with-who-i-am-going-to-vote-for-to-vote

What if the polls close while I am in line waiting to vote?

*this is not legal advice, but we wanted to share some general information

If the polls close while you’re in line to vote don’t leave. Don’t step out of line. If you are already in line when the polls close, stay in line until you get the chance to cast your ballot. You have the right to vote. Just hang in line until your time comes.

What if you didn’t send your absentee ballot in? Well, we have answers!

This is one of those “depends” answers — you might be able to vote in person even if you received a ballot in the mail, every state has different rules so check your location out! If you can’t find the information you’re looking for call your local election board.

Learn more here: https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/blog/what-ifi-didnt-send-my-absentee-ballot-in

What if there are confusing voting rules I need to know? A lot of states have introduced laws around polling locations and they can be confusing - we don’t want anything to disenfranchise you. Your vote is your own, we want you to use it. So make sure to brush up on the laws in your voting locale!

Learn more here: https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/blog/what-ifthere-is-some-confusing-rule-i-dont-know-about

If you are a first time voter, you may have questions about what the process is like, what you need, and how to set yourself up for success in voting. On this quick episode, we are helping any first time voters figure out what they need to vote! We’re answering the question, what do I need to know if it is my first time voting?

Learn more here: https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/blog/what-ifi-am-a-first-time-voter

Can my husband find out who I voted for in a presidential election? The answer is no! And we cover that topic and some quick and important information on this episode. In a Presidential general election, you can vote for any candidate on the ballot, regardless of your registered party. While voter registration information, such as your party affiliation and whether you voted, is public, who you actually vote for remains private. Your spouse cannot find out who you voted for unless you choose to share that information. It's important to remember that your vote is your own and a protected civil liberty.

You can learn more here: https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/blog/can-my-spouse-find-out-who-i-voted-for-in-the-presidential-election

What is a provisional ballot and how can you ask for one? We cover all of that and more in this episode! A provisional ballot allows voters facing challenges, such as missing from the voter registration list or lacking proper ID, to still cast their vote. The ballot is reviewed later, and if eligibility is confirmed, it is included in the final count. Provisional ballots are available in every state except where same-day voter registration is allowed. You can track the status of your provisional ballot to see if it’s been accepted or rejected.

You can learn more and get the script to ask for a provisional ballot here: https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/blog/lets-talk-about-provisional-ballots