3 Things You Must Do Before You Vote

By Kenrya Rankin Nov 08, 2016

3 Things You Must Do Before You Vote

After a seemingly interminable season, Election Day (November 8) is finally here. Are you ready? Here are the three things you must do before heading out to cast your vote today.


1. Find your polling place and time
Your homie Google is all over this one. Just go to Google.com and click on the Google Doodle (or the box that prompts you to “Find your polling place and cast your vote.”) Enter your street address to reveal where you are supposed to vote, how to get there, what you need to bring with you, the latest time you can join the line and a copy of your ballot. You must be in line when polls close in your state to cast your vote—and don’t let anyone turn you away if you haven’t reached the booth by that time.


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2. Study your ballot
You probably know who you want to be president, but what about your local district attorney race? Or school board members? Local, state and Congressional elections matter, too. Head to Ballotpedia.org to study up on the other people who want your vote, as well as any ballot measures that impact the way the government is run in your hometown. The tool will even text you the ballot info for easy reference in the voting booth.


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3. Save this number in your phone
If you are harassed or intimidated outside (or inside) your polling place, call 866.OUR.VOTE (866.687.8683) to get help from nonpartisan voter protection coalition Election Protection. Need help in Spanish? Call 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (888.839.8682). Get help in Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, Urdu and Vietnamese at 1-888-API-VOTE (888.274.8683).


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ArchiveElection ProtectionGoogleGoogle DoodlePoliticsPolling Places