Consigning one’s ballot to a mailbox likely means disenfranchisement in 2026. Taking it to a safe drop box or polling place, or showing up early and in person, or voting election day in person are the only safe means of voting this time.
Know your state/county rules. In my jurisdiction if I receive an absentee ballot and decide to deliver it in person, I must take it to the county election office, as they are not accepted at polling places. If I had called to check I could have easily (and inadvertently) not had my vote counted.
In Illinois, one can’t drop off a mail-in ballot at any polling place. I’ve worked as a judge and it seems there is always one person who arrives late in the day wanting to leave their mail-in ballot because it’s too late to mail it. They then say they can’t make it one of the few locations where they can drop it off. They are frustrated and disheartened by the rules they don’t understand. So, yes, make a plan to vote, and make sure the plan follows the rules.
Absolutely check the rules in your state and follow them. Also, your local party can often help,with lining up transportation if you need it. I am such a volunteer to drive folks to the polls. There are lots of us ready to get folks there!
And even that is risky, as untrained, testosterone-fueled, mask wearing, gun toting MAGA cess pool dwellers hang out at the polls just to intimidate voters.
I have never felt comfortable entrusting really important stuff to the postal service, even before Trump. Before he made it a agent of the MAGA Fascists Regime, the USPS tried its' best but they sometimes failed to deliver.
According to this news letter, all citizens should have received their ballots 30 days before Nov. 3 and hence can either mail in or drop in boxes their votes. Correct?
Not necessarily. When the ballots arrive is likely different state to state. No drop boxes in some places. Where mail ballots can be returned is different in different counties/states. And it's safest not to put a ballot in US mail more than 7 to 10 days before the election. During that window, take the ballot to the post office counter and have it hand-cancelled - don't just put in the mail slot.
There is another impediment built in to mail-in voting these days. The post office is overburdened and underfunded and has been for years. As a result, even under normal circumstances, mail can no longer be presumed to be delivered timely nor at all. Just as a matter of course, it is being mis-delivered and not delivered at all. This makes it very nerve-racking to mail ballots even without all the additional MAGA burdens.
At this point, mail in ballots are very risky. Using early voting is a must. It is also a must that we make sure people understand the process of early voting, as many do not.
I called my elections office and asked what I could do if my ballot does not arrive. I have the option to pick one up at the county elections office. I can also vote in person by a provisional ballot which will be counted when confirmed valid by the elections office. I urge everyone to contact their elections office to learn what you can do if this happens to you. Do not let the Orange SOB get away with robbing you of your right to vote!
Instead of overwhelming our (probably understaffed) elections offices, another option is to contact the national, nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE to make a voting plan for your location.
Totally agree. The USPS has lost several packages of mine the last couple of years. My regular mail sometimes gets put in a neighbors mailbox (and I get theirs.) I don't trust the USPS at all. Totally incompetent.
I don’t think they are totally incompetent. They just are understaffed and underfunded. It was a deliberate choice made many years ago by Congress to hobble the USPS. I suspect because Republicans wanted to favor private package shippers.
If SCOTUS overturns the lower court ruling to halt that preposterous scheme to have the USPS control mail in voting, we know the fix is in. But I don’t think it will take up that appeal. Still, as this column urges, we must all do our part to make sure the Republicans, who have exposed themselves as the ignorant, selfish grifters they’ve always been, don’t find any way to affect legitimate election outcomes. We literally have to fight to take our country back.
With all due respect, I don't think we have to wait that long.
SCOTUS proved long ago the fix was in, at least for the majority on the Court. My question is--what's in it for them? Why have they contorted themselves in rulings that run contrary to the Rule of Law?
They have two big obstacles to overcome: the executive branch has no role in elections; USPS delivers mail only and they have no role in elections. Argue with that, Clarence.
You of course, are correct, dating back to Bush v. Gore. I meant the fix to steal this election would be obvious. But I don’t think even this compromised SCOTUS can allow the disastrous mail-in voting to be changed with literally days left before states begin sending out ballots. This is going to be a blue tidal wave. And I’m here for it.
Thank you, Jen. Excellent reporting. You are absolutely on point with this observation:
“The only reasonable conclusion is that the MAGA gang is quaking in fear that voters are prepared to throw them out of power — so the “solution” is to make voting as difficult, confusing, and burdensome as possible. Their hope, presumably, is that either more Democrats would be dissuaded from voting, or that the resulting chaos will provide grounds (however specious) for challenging the results.”
It’s always the same: Republicans cannot win without cheating.
Here in Ohio we're receiving forms to request an absentee ballot. Once we get the ballot itself, (I assume) we mail it, or drop off at the county board. I'm voting in person. Seems the safest way to make my vote count.
There’s no early voting in my state, but you can vote absentee. I have only voted absentee once. Ballots are being mailed out today in Alabama for those voting absentee. I hope that SAVE act will not pass before election day. Republicans will do anything to cheat.
I have been getting my ballot mailed to me by the local elections division, and then I make a visit to the central county elections division to deliver my completed ballot a week or more before the nominal election date. That way I am available to work at the polls of any polling place in the county if needed.
"Democrats, independents, and patriotic Republicans must call this out, and denounce those state officials eager to participate 'voluntarily' in a scheme to deprive their own voters of the sacred, hard-earned right to vote."
"Patriotic Republicans"? Are there such people? Imagine living in a state where the powers that be are excited about disenfranchising their own citizens! But also imagine rank-and-file MAGA folks who think that Trump's "Final Rule" would not impact them? They proudly proclaim "I voted for this!" Yup, such people exist. Sad, but I have no sympathy for them and I can't wait to read about one of them complaining that they never received their mail-in ballot.
Let's not keep ruminating on the MAGA voters and focus on winning the election by mobilizing the patriots of this country. Anyone who has ever dealt with the general public is not surprised by people's behavior. Patriotic Republicans do exist. It behooves us to ally with them right now rather than get caught up in judging them. There will be time enough for the hard conversations after we make America safe for democracy once more.
Thank you Jennifer for ALL of this, however there MUST be a plan in place when the t regime refuses to give up power when we win the House & hopefully the Senate at midterms.
The Demented One is, of course, not just trying to disrupt our elections--illegally, of course--but also openly defraud the elections. He's the only one doing the defrauding--also, of course, illegally--so he has to try to put that on others, just as he spends so much of his life projecting his sickening and immoral behavior onto others to save his huge, though entirely fragile, ego.
But add to this lie--and fear--about early voting should have not just every civilian screaming, but also, perhaps especially, EVERY member of the military, whether on active duty or retired veteran!!! Donnie, baby, showing his incredible ignorance again, is saying to the members of our military, "You must go fight for the US, put your lives on the line for the US and its citizens, but NO, you won't have any say in any election, so you'll just do what the rest of us tell you to." Excuse me? That's not "taxation without representation," but "die for all of us without representation." All military members who are on bases, et al, all over the world, guess what, VOTE BY MAIL! And the mail is even slower coming from those foreign countries.
Am I in the military? No. But I come from 2 generations of military on both sides of my family, and I'm beyond pissed. I was shocked when ANY member of the military actually voted for this selfish, self-centered child, and I'm even more shocked that they aren't screaming at the tops of their lungs about this.
Mister vandalizes our public buildings and then accuses innocents of vandalism. He commits financial fraud and then accuses others of doing it. And now this. You would think law enforcement would have identified the pattern and then simply waited for him to publicly blame someone... and then swoop in and arrest him for whatever it might be.
I always vote early. There is room in my car to take any anti-Trump voters, and explain the process to them. No long lines. Takes minimal time. This is the primary way to empower ourselves to rid us of Deranged Trump Syndrome.
Early voting resource guide with voting windows by state, what Voter ID you'll need and ridesharing to the polls services along with links to the official state websites for latest details.
I used to resist voting early— I felt as if a tradition as important as exercising my right to vote deserved the pomp and circumstance of going to my local school and joining with my neighbors as we participated together in the act of voting on the second Tuesday of November.
Then, in recent elections, I became convinced by the arguments in favor of securing my rights by voting early in person at the county office.
Guess what? My sense of patriotic pride and my profound delight in participating in the democratic process did not diminish at all by voting before “the day” of elections. Everyone at the polling place —polling workers and voters— makes sharing in this tradition just as satisfying as voting on Election Day ever was.
Vote early, in person! Here in Iowa, we have from October 14 to November 2. I can’t wait!
You bet I'll vote early at my local election office. I live in a bright red district and I have learned that is the best way to avoid Republican harassment outside the polls. Trump and his minions will do everything they can to interfere with voters. It's not about non-citizens voting - it's all about ensuring that only Republicans vote!
Consigning one’s ballot to a mailbox likely means disenfranchisement in 2026. Taking it to a safe drop box or polling place, or showing up early and in person, or voting election day in person are the only safe means of voting this time.
Know your state/county rules. In my jurisdiction if I receive an absentee ballot and decide to deliver it in person, I must take it to the county election office, as they are not accepted at polling places. If I had called to check I could have easily (and inadvertently) not had my vote counted.
DON’t WAIT UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE!!
KNOWING THE RULES CAN SAVE YOUR VOTE!!
In Illinois, one can’t drop off a mail-in ballot at any polling place. I’ve worked as a judge and it seems there is always one person who arrives late in the day wanting to leave their mail-in ballot because it’s too late to mail it. They then say they can’t make it one of the few locations where they can drop it off. They are frustrated and disheartened by the rules they don’t understand. So, yes, make a plan to vote, and make sure the plan follows the rules.
And do what you can to help neighbors who are ignorant or frustrated to get their ballot safely into the correct hands.
Absolutely check the rules in your state and follow them. Also, your local party can often help,with lining up transportation if you need it. I am such a volunteer to drive folks to the polls. There are lots of us ready to get folks there!
Thank you so much for doing that!
And even that is risky, as untrained, testosterone-fueled, mask wearing, gun toting MAGA cess pool dwellers hang out at the polls just to intimidate voters.
Vote in person early, if your state allows it. That's the best way to avoid them.
Great suggestion
I have never felt comfortable entrusting really important stuff to the postal service, even before Trump. Before he made it a agent of the MAGA Fascists Regime, the USPS tried its' best but they sometimes failed to deliver.
So right. And this time, consigning ballots to the mailbox likely means to toss them into the void.
We need first our mind set in terms of a civil war.
I agree with your comment 100%.
According to this news letter, all citizens should have received their ballots 30 days before Nov. 3 and hence can either mail in or drop in boxes their votes. Correct?
Not necessarily. When the ballots arrive is likely different state to state. No drop boxes in some places. Where mail ballots can be returned is different in different counties/states. And it's safest not to put a ballot in US mail more than 7 to 10 days before the election. During that window, take the ballot to the post office counter and have it hand-cancelled - don't just put in the mail slot.
There is another impediment built in to mail-in voting these days. The post office is overburdened and underfunded and has been for years. As a result, even under normal circumstances, mail can no longer be presumed to be delivered timely nor at all. Just as a matter of course, it is being mis-delivered and not delivered at all. This makes it very nerve-racking to mail ballots even without all the additional MAGA burdens.
At this point, mail in ballots are very risky. Using early voting is a must. It is also a must that we make sure people understand the process of early voting, as many do not.
I called my elections office and asked what I could do if my ballot does not arrive. I have the option to pick one up at the county elections office. I can also vote in person by a provisional ballot which will be counted when confirmed valid by the elections office. I urge everyone to contact their elections office to learn what you can do if this happens to you. Do not let the Orange SOB get away with robbing you of your right to vote!
Instead of overwhelming our (probably understaffed) elections offices, another option is to contact the national, nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE to make a voting plan for your location.
Totally agree. The USPS has lost several packages of mine the last couple of years. My regular mail sometimes gets put in a neighbors mailbox (and I get theirs.) I don't trust the USPS at all. Totally incompetent.
I don’t think they are totally incompetent. They just are understaffed and underfunded. It was a deliberate choice made many years ago by Congress to hobble the USPS. I suspect because Republicans wanted to favor private package shippers.
The appointment of Louis DeJoy as postmaster was evidence of this.
If SCOTUS overturns the lower court ruling to halt that preposterous scheme to have the USPS control mail in voting, we know the fix is in. But I don’t think it will take up that appeal. Still, as this column urges, we must all do our part to make sure the Republicans, who have exposed themselves as the ignorant, selfish grifters they’ve always been, don’t find any way to affect legitimate election outcomes. We literally have to fight to take our country back.
With all due respect, I don't think we have to wait that long.
SCOTUS proved long ago the fix was in, at least for the majority on the Court. My question is--what's in it for them? Why have they contorted themselves in rulings that run contrary to the Rule of Law?
They have two big obstacles to overcome: the executive branch has no role in elections; USPS delivers mail only and they have no role in elections. Argue with that, Clarence.
You of course, are correct, dating back to Bush v. Gore. I meant the fix to steal this election would be obvious. But I don’t think even this compromised SCOTUS can allow the disastrous mail-in voting to be changed with literally days left before states begin sending out ballots. This is going to be a blue tidal wave. And I’m here for it.
Exactly so.
Can't wait for today's Coffee with the Contrarians to welcome you back in person and voice, Jen!
I plan on voting in person on Sept. 18, right after my 76th birthday.
Thank you, Jen. Excellent reporting. You are absolutely on point with this observation:
“The only reasonable conclusion is that the MAGA gang is quaking in fear that voters are prepared to throw them out of power — so the “solution” is to make voting as difficult, confusing, and burdensome as possible. Their hope, presumably, is that either more Democrats would be dissuaded from voting, or that the resulting chaos will provide grounds (however specious) for challenging the results.”
It’s always the same: Republicans cannot win without cheating.
Here in Ohio we're receiving forms to request an absentee ballot. Once we get the ballot itself, (I assume) we mail it, or drop off at the county board. I'm voting in person. Seems the safest way to make my vote count.
There’s no early voting in my state, but you can vote absentee. I have only voted absentee once. Ballots are being mailed out today in Alabama for those voting absentee. I hope that SAVE act will not pass before election day. Republicans will do anything to cheat.
I have been getting my ballot mailed to me by the local elections division, and then I make a visit to the central county elections division to deliver my completed ballot a week or more before the nominal election date. That way I am available to work at the polls of any polling place in the county if needed.
"Democrats, independents, and patriotic Republicans must call this out, and denounce those state officials eager to participate 'voluntarily' in a scheme to deprive their own voters of the sacred, hard-earned right to vote."
"Patriotic Republicans"? Are there such people? Imagine living in a state where the powers that be are excited about disenfranchising their own citizens! But also imagine rank-and-file MAGA folks who think that Trump's "Final Rule" would not impact them? They proudly proclaim "I voted for this!" Yup, such people exist. Sad, but I have no sympathy for them and I can't wait to read about one of them complaining that they never received their mail-in ballot.
Let's not keep ruminating on the MAGA voters and focus on winning the election by mobilizing the patriots of this country. Anyone who has ever dealt with the general public is not surprised by people's behavior. Patriotic Republicans do exist. It behooves us to ally with them right now rather than get caught up in judging them. There will be time enough for the hard conversations after we make America safe for democracy once more.
Thank you Jennifer for ALL of this, however there MUST be a plan in place when the t regime refuses to give up power when we win the House & hopefully the Senate at midterms.
The Demented One is, of course, not just trying to disrupt our elections--illegally, of course--but also openly defraud the elections. He's the only one doing the defrauding--also, of course, illegally--so he has to try to put that on others, just as he spends so much of his life projecting his sickening and immoral behavior onto others to save his huge, though entirely fragile, ego.
But add to this lie--and fear--about early voting should have not just every civilian screaming, but also, perhaps especially, EVERY member of the military, whether on active duty or retired veteran!!! Donnie, baby, showing his incredible ignorance again, is saying to the members of our military, "You must go fight for the US, put your lives on the line for the US and its citizens, but NO, you won't have any say in any election, so you'll just do what the rest of us tell you to." Excuse me? That's not "taxation without representation," but "die for all of us without representation." All military members who are on bases, et al, all over the world, guess what, VOTE BY MAIL! And the mail is even slower coming from those foreign countries.
Am I in the military? No. But I come from 2 generations of military on both sides of my family, and I'm beyond pissed. I was shocked when ANY member of the military actually voted for this selfish, self-centered child, and I'm even more shocked that they aren't screaming at the tops of their lungs about this.
Mister vandalizes our public buildings and then accuses innocents of vandalism. He commits financial fraud and then accuses others of doing it. And now this. You would think law enforcement would have identified the pattern and then simply waited for him to publicly blame someone... and then swoop in and arrest him for whatever it might be.
I always vote early. There is room in my car to take any anti-Trump voters, and explain the process to them. No long lines. Takes minimal time. This is the primary way to empower ourselves to rid us of Deranged Trump Syndrome.
Early voting resource guide with voting windows by state, what Voter ID you'll need and ridesharing to the polls services along with links to the official state websites for latest details.
https://thedemlabs.org/2026/09/06/early-voting-schedules-voter-id-transit-map/
I used to resist voting early— I felt as if a tradition as important as exercising my right to vote deserved the pomp and circumstance of going to my local school and joining with my neighbors as we participated together in the act of voting on the second Tuesday of November.
Then, in recent elections, I became convinced by the arguments in favor of securing my rights by voting early in person at the county office.
Guess what? My sense of patriotic pride and my profound delight in participating in the democratic process did not diminish at all by voting before “the day” of elections. Everyone at the polling place —polling workers and voters— makes sharing in this tradition just as satisfying as voting on Election Day ever was.
Vote early, in person! Here in Iowa, we have from October 14 to November 2. I can’t wait!
You bet I'll vote early at my local election office. I live in a bright red district and I have learned that is the best way to avoid Republican harassment outside the polls. Trump and his minions will do everything they can to interfere with voters. It's not about non-citizens voting - it's all about ensuring that only Republicans vote!
The Rs can all have a tailgate party and choke on the crow they will be eating.