Waitsfield town treasurer Sandy Gallup is generally completely unflappable. However, this week, during routine financial reporting to the town select board she went off topic briefly to let the board know that the town office and town clerk and staff are in full-on election mode.
The fact that the Vermont Secretary of State, at the behest of the Legislature, mailed every Vermonter a ballot has complicated what is normally a straightforward process. Gallup told the board that the town is receiving daily directives and said that the town’s normal checklist is online as part of the state’s checklist – which goes down often.
She reported on new larger state-funded ballot drop boxes outside that were filled up over the three-day weekend and pointed out that there’s a drop box in the vestibule where people can walk in, wave to town employees and deposit their ballots.
She reminded the board that people can register to vote on election day and said, “People are pretty passionate this year.”
She also said that people were nervous about their vote and making sure it gets counted. People have the option of mailing in ballots, dropping them off at the town office, bringing them to vote at the polling place on election day or leaving their ballot at home (and certifying that they chose not to vote with it) and asking for a new one.
But if that happens, polling officials might not have enough ballots. So, if you don’t plan to drop off or mail your ballot, bring your ballot with you regardless of where you vote.
And take heart from Gallup’s words about people being passionate about voting this year. That’s good news. Passion beats apathy any day of the week and for any vote and particularly for this presidential election.
Vermonters, like voters in many other states, are mailing in ballots in record numbers. In Vermont early voting has surpassed 20% of the 2016 early voting with 30% of voters having cast ballots already. Early voting numbers are similarly high in swing states like Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida.
Nothing could or would be better than a tsunami of Americans voting by mail, early or in person on November 3.
