Holding an election in the middle of a global pandemic is a huge challenge, and there’s a lot of misinformation going around about how voting could be affected, particularly because millions of Americans are expected to vote by absentee or mail ballot this fall.
Campaign Legal Center (CLC) interviewed two election officials—Adrian Fontes of Maricopa County, Arizona, and Mary Jane Arrington of Osceola County, Florida—to learn how they’re rising to meet this challenge, in order to ensure every eligible voter can make their voice heard this season.
They explained how voting by mail works, along with what measures are in place to ensure the process is secure. Mary Jane Arrington reminded voters to sign their mail ballot, and Adrian Fontes shared how votes are counted and that despite the media’s tendency to “call” elections early, official results are never available on election night and won’t be this year.
Their top message for voters this fall? Vote early, and if you’re in doubt about any information, call your local election official and ask their office for answers. Get information straight from the source.
The most important outcome of the election in November is not who wins or loses, but that votes are counted accurately, and the candidate chosen by the voters is elected.
