A different way to vote

Cindy Hollister has worked in the billing department at TMC Publications since 2021.

Since the age of 18, I have voted in every single general election. Since my mid-30s, I have voted in every single mid-term election. And once Minnesota switched from caucus to primary elections, I voted. My various employers always allowed an hour to vote, but I never lived within a distance where that worked for me.
During all the years I worked full-time, and for a period of 12 years as a single parent, it was a burden getting to the polling location on time. Tuesday is a business workday and the 13-hour voting hour window at times was tight for me. Traffic congestion was always an issue, the weather could be as well, and my polling location was never part of the driving route home. I was one of those people that came screaming into a polling place in the last hour to vote hoping the line wasn’t overwhelming.
I retired from full-time work in 2017 and trained to be an election judge in 2018. It was very pleasurable to perform the various positions and procedures that year. I also decided to be an election judge during the 2020 COVID year. I performed the same duties as before, but there was a noticeable difference in voters’ affect and behavior and so I declined to be an election judge for the 2022 mid-term election. Voting in person was very satisfying and mattered greatly to me, but it changed that year causing me to be more vigilant for who and what I give my vote to.
I always research and review candidates’ profiles and policy positions along with any specific initiatives and referendums on the ballot. Local newspapers did a wonderful job of consolidating and providing this information when it was my normal method of being informed. I’d make a list to bring with me to fill out the ballot at the polling location. Now online searches are needed, which is cumbersome since I have not yet found a consolidated location with information for all the ballot choices or without having to provide my personal information to receive it.
I have voted by mail since 2020 and strongly support that method along with broadening the number of election days. COVID demonstrated that voting by mail was a great new way to perform our civic duty. Expanding the number of election days would also help those that have full workdays filled with childcare, elder parent care, non-flexible work schedules, long commutes, transportation or physical complications, plus all the other normal daily life activities. Being able to spend more time with the ballot to search through multiple information sources helps me be a more thoughtful and informed citizen.
Cindy Hollister has worked in the billing department at TMC Publications since 2021.