Assistant Town Clerk and Bwog Staff Writer Elena Christenfeld answers your voting questions.

With the legitimacy of the election being questioned and an unprecedented number of people voting by mail, this November 3rd Election Day will be unlike any other. In light of these factors and challenges, it is important for people to understand how the process works. I work as the Assistant Town Clerk in Lincoln, Massachusetts. As a member of the clerk’s office, I have helped to administer elections and have gained a highly specific understanding of the mechanics of elections and voting. Today, I will be answering your voting questions in an effort to demystify the voting process and hopefully restore some legitimacy and faith to our election. Voting rules vary a lot from state to state, and even within states, voting processes can vary from community to community. But I am here to provide specific answers to general questions.

Am I registered to vote?

Check! Check! Check! In some states, the voter registration deadline has passed for the November 3rd Election, but in others you still have time! Register online, in-person, or by mail. Go to your state’s election website to find out more about the deadlines where you live. You can also check your voter registration here. 

Who is running your elections? 

The simple answer to this is local election officials. 

Elections, even federal ones, are highly localized. And depending on where you live, elections are either overseen by the city/town or the county. All states either have an election official, an election board or a combination of the two. In Massachusetts, a Board of Registrars in each town and city officially oversees elections. Within the Board, city/town clerks are the primary election officials. Beyond the local level, each state has an official or board which, while not directly running elections, oversees the statewide administration of elections and voting. This position is primarily held by the Secretary of State/Commonwealth. 

What is the difference between absentee ballots and vote-by-mail ballots?

For voters, the difference between absentee voting and voting by mail is minimal; the only difference you may notice is the title on your envelope, which can vary depending on which type of ballot you are receiving. Some states don’t have a distinction between absentee and vote by mail ballots, while other states have two separate provisions. Because of COVID-19, most states have made it possible for more voters to vote by mail and absentee. 

I accidentally gave the wrong mailing address on my vote by mail/absentee application. What do I do?

This happens all the time! The best thing to do is to reach out to your local election office (again, either your city/town or county election office). Depending on state and community specific rules, some election officials will want you to send in a new application, while others may say an email or phone call is sufficient. 

How are ballots counted?

Almost all communities use electronic tabulators to count their ballots. Unlike many other parts of the voting process, the processing of ballots through tabulators is fairly similar across communities. The tabulators read each ballot and tally the results on a tape. Any ballots with erroneous marks, write-ins, or other reading issues are diverted by the electronic processor to be hand counted. These machines ensure a highly specific and accurate count. During election recounts or audits, the ballots will be recounted by hand.  

Once you have the results, who do you report them to? How does the media get the vote tallies vs. state/federal election officials?

On election night, once the polls close and counts are totaled, election officials across the country communicate their results to the Associated Press (AP). AP then disseminates this information to various news organizations: this is the information you see on election night. In Lincoln, we communicate our results to an AP representative over the phone and within minutes, that information is spread across the country. Official election information is also certified by each state, and the election official for each jurisdiction is responsible for providing specific tallies, evidence, and information to the state overseer. This official certification process, however, may not occur until a week or so after the election.

Beyond voting, how can you get involved in the election process?

Reach out to your local election officials! Different offices have different needs, but asking how you can help is really important and appreciated. Ask about volunteering as a poll worker and general volunteering opportunities.

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