As a transplant from Washington State where mail-in voting works exceedingly well and is standard practice, I can highly recommend this voting procedure as a method which has been proven to be a safe, cost-effective, and efficient way to greatly increase voter participation while maintaining the integrity of the electoral process. I would hope that in future, this approach will be adopted as the norm here in Tennessee as well, but without all the restrictions, requirements, and impediments which currently make it unnecessarily complicated. Certainly the tremendous number of Tennessee voters in 2020 who are choosing to vote absentee rather than brave potentially long lines and run the risk of COVID-19 infection would seem to indicate that to be their preference as well.
Unfortunately, this administration and Republican officials around the country have made absentee voting yet another politically divisive and controversial tool by which to suppress voter participation. Particularly alarming has been the systematic dismantling of the US Postal Service which has disrupted on-time delivery for 1st class mail so that it is now reduced to 84% of previous levels. Since many states, including Tennessee, require that mail-in ballots must be received by Nov. 3, this is likely to result in far too many mailed ballots being delayed and ultimately rejected. Normally, 1.2% of all mailed ballots received are returned due to not having been received on time or lacking valid signatures. Indeed, during the 2020 Primary, there were more than 500,000 ballots rejected nationwide. Therefore, despite the fact that COVID-19 is a very real and serious threat, it may be that for this particular election, voting in person will better assure the sanctity of one's vote.
It should also be noted that here in Rutherford County our election officials have done an excellent job of implementing a number of precautionary safety measures designed to reduce the infection risk. And since Rutherford County voters can early vote until Oct. 29 at any one of nine early voting sites around the county and on election day, Nov. 3, 2020, at any one of 28 polling places, in-person voting in Rutherford County is a relatively safe and speedy process.
For those still needing or preferring to vote absentee – see qualifications and details at GoVoteTN.com – the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 27, 2020, after which a ballot will be mailed to you. Since ballots must be returned via U.S. Mail using a First Class, 55-cent stamp and received by the Rutherford County Election Commission located at 1 South Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130, on or before Nov. 3, 2020, that doesn't allow much time; something to consider since once you receive your ballot you cannot change your mind and vote in person. To assure that your Absentee Ballot has been received, go to the Voter Registration Information Lookup & Absentee By-Mail Ballot Status Tracker at GoVoteTN.com or https://tnmap.tn.gov/voter.lookup/.
So whether by mail or in person, let's make this the year when Rutherford County voters turn out in record numbers to participate in a democratic process which enables and allows their voices to be heard as they elect those individuals they wish to have represent them.
Chloe Cerutti
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
