What To Do On Election Day | Practical Kindness: Vote Kindly and Help Others Vote

This is simple, but every year people miss out on voting because they don’t have proper identification with them when they show up at their polling place. Some states require a picture ID card, and if you have one that’s a great thing to have with you. Also bring your Voter Registration Card and/or any other documentation you received when you registered to vote. It’s always good to be prepared just in case your name can’t be found on the rolls at your polling place. Especially if you only registered fairly recently or are a first time voter, bring whatever proof you have that shows you really did register to vote.

The Fine Print

In no state is a voter who cannot produce identification supposed to be turned away from the polls—all states have some sort of recourse for voters without identification to cast a vote.

However, in Georgia and Indiana, voters without ID vote a provisional ballot, and must return to election officials within a few days and show a photo ID in order for their ballots to be counted. Here’s a chart of state-by-state specifics on what forms of identification are acceptable and the options available to voters who cannot present identification.

The second critical error is not knowing where to go to vote

Please don’t wait until Election Day to start trying to find out. Phone calls on that day may go unanswered at polling places or election headquarters due to overwhelm. You should have received notice of where to vote in the mail, but if you did not, first try to find out online. Some states, such as Virginia and Minnesota, have websites just for this purpose. Or go directly to this site which is supposed to list all polling places. If that fails, do call your county board of elections well ahead of time to find out. They’ll be listed in the front of your phone book in the blue pages in the COUNTY section, perhaps as Board of Elections or perhaps under the County Auditor’s listing.