Rock the Vote

‘Your Vote is Your Voice’ pin by Dissent Pins, available here.

‘Your Vote is Your Voice’ pin by Dissent Pins, available here.

Rock the vote! You guys, let’s do this. Remember the MTV Rock the Vote ads from the 90s? They were weird and stylish and full of energy. And that’s the hype we need now. The Rock the Vote campaign was founded in 1990 by a Virgin Records exec. It partnered with MTV, which resulted in gems like this one from En Vogue. The original campaign is filled with delightful 90s vibes. But the message is the same today: VOTE.

Today is National Voter Registration Day. It’s a day to check your voter status, register to vote, update your status, and remind others to do the same. It’s a day to spread the word and up the hype. Vote! 

So much of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s wisdom is fresh in our minds right now. She once said, ‘Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.’ Voting fits this mantra perfectly. 

To vote this November 3, we’ve got you covered. Scroll down for info specific to Kansas and Missouri. Basically, you can vote in person on voting day, you have early voting options and you have mail-in voting options. There are also special absentee voting options, though those apply to a smaller subset and have strict requirements. The mail-in option has been getting a lot of attention lately due to Covid and the threat against USPS. The delays in postal mail combined with an increase in mail-in ballot requests may cause some issues. The solution is to request your ballot ASAP. 

One more thing: there is a shortage of polling place workers this year. Many workers fall in the COVID high-risk age group of 65 or older, so they may not be able to show up like normal. If you can help, go here if you live in Kansas and here if you live in Missouri. 

Here is a breakdown of voting info...

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Kansas

DEADLINE: In Kansas, register to vote by October 13. The state doesn’t allow voting-day registration, so stick to the Oct 13 deadline.

STATUS: Check your registration status here. As a note, you need to re-register each time you change your name, address, or party affiliation.

MAIL-IN: Any registered Kansas voter may apply for a mail-in ballot. You can also vote by mail with a simple, one-page application here: Kansas. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Oct 27.

IN-PERSON: Find your polling location. Just input your address on this site and it will show you where to go.

EARLY VOTING: In October, details will be announced about early voting options. Counties differ on exact dates: they can begin early voting anywhere from October 14 - 27.

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Missouri

DEADLINE: In Missouri, register by October 7. The state doesn’t allow voting-day registration, so stick to the Oct 7 deadline.

STATUS: Check your registration status here.

MAIL-IN: Any registered Missouri voter may apply for a mail-in ballot. Mail-in ballots are allowed, but they need to be notarized. A lot of notaries have volunteered to help at no charge; here’s a list. One more catch: you must mail in your ballot by USPS only. You can also vote by mail with a simple, one-page application here: Missouri. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Oct 21.

IN-PERSON: Find your polling location. Just input your address on this site and it will show you where to go.

EARLY VOTING: No early voting is allowed in Missouri.

And finally, if you still have questions and can’t find the answer anywhere, you can always call Vote.org’s Election Protection Hotline at 866-687-8683.

 
maggie laubscher