Voting in person is an experience to remember. The steps to getting there can feel like one to forget. Here are some resources to make a plan that gets you and your vote over the finish line. Once you have confirmed your registration, all you have left to do is make a plan to vote.

Where are you going and how do you get there?

• Vote.org has an easy poll locator tool here.
• Transport:
  • The national non-partisan service VoteRun offers free scheduled rides through registering on their website.
  • Ride2 Vote, a partisan group, offers rides in several states.
  • Several regional free ride efforts include The Power Coalition in Louisiana, Souls to the Polls in the greater Milwaukee area
  • Other transportation to the polls efforts include the e-bike/e-scooter company Lime which is offering a code for a free 30 minute ride for customers riding to their polling station, and rideshare company Lyft is offering discounted rides to the polls.
  • Several city bus operations throughout the country are running free rides to the polls on election day such as Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus service.

Poll Lines and Checking-in

• Polls are most busy at opening, lines tend to thin out as the day goes on, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission has a helpful page to guide you through what to expect. If you are in line before polls close, stay in line because you have the right to vote at that point.
• Federal law requires ID for first-time voters, however, there are several states that require ID for every voter. Some examples of acceptable identification in some states include: Driver’s license, State ID card/Non-driver’s license, Voter identification card, ID issued by the state or federal government, Bank statement, Paycheck, Property tax statement, Birth certificate, Residential lease, Voter registration card, Student ID, Veteran card like Veteran Health Identification Cards, Military Identification Card for the Armed Forces, U.S. passport or passport card, Debit or credit card.
• Some states may require more, check your state’s requirements at the non-partisan VoteRiders.

Casting Your Vote

• Many states mail you a sample ballot which you can fill out at home and bring with you to your polling place. You can check the USA.gov to see if your state offers a downloadable ballot.
• WeVote, Vote411 and Ballotpedia have great tools for searching non-partisan election and initiative information.
• According to USA.gov you may bring notes, ballot guides, and sample ballots into the voting booth but some places may restrict phone usage.

Know your rights

• As outlined by Bipartisan Policy Center, you have the right to: start over if you make a mistake, reasonable ADA-compliant accommodations and to still vote if you were in line before the poll closed.
• Provisional ballots are used if there is uncertainty about your ID or your polling location. Depending on your state, you may be asked to return to the polling location with valid ID in order to make your provisional ballot count, in this case it is called “curing” your ballot. You can contact VoteRider for more support with your provisional ballot.

As with all tasks, a well thought out plan can mean the difference between a successfully cast vote or being left unheard. It may seem like a lot of work, but once you get through it, the next time will seem less daunting.