Op-Ed: This election cycle, Hudson County Democrats should vote early

In an editorial, Jersey City residents Gerald Miller and Helen Blumenthal explain why they feel Hudson County Democrats should vote early in this election cycle.

The old joke “vote early, vote often” was partly correct: voting early is a good idea. But do Hudson County residents know about the early voting option?

There are now three ways to vote: vote-by-mail, in-person voting on the day of the election, and early voting. For the November general election, the in-person early voting period is October 26 through November 3.

This early vote electoral system is important for Democrats, who traditionally have more episodic and new voters in their coalition. This extra time to get out the vote allows us to reach greater numbers of less-likely voters than we could in the past.

This can increase our turnout and help us win.

That’s why the Democratic Committee should promote early voting.

The earlier our voters vote, the quicker our campaigns can reach and turnout less likely voters.

Campaigns can get the list of people who voted that day, so when you vote early you are removed from Get Out the Vote rolls, and stop getting canvassed and called, it allows the campaign to move on to other people who have not voted yet.

So, having Democrats vote as early as possible increases turnout and helps us win.
Voting early has other benefits. A heavy early turnout leads to stories about “hey everyone is voting” and puts social pressure on people to go vote, which also increases turnout.

Voting early in big numbers also becomes a very public affirmation that our democracy and electoral system is working as intended, which creates a greater incentive for people to vote and makes it far harder for the Republicans to cheat, disrupt or contest the election.

Being able to vote early, gives voters more opportunities to cast their votes. Instead of voting all on one single high-stakes day, voters will be able to pick a time that works for them, from a range of dates and hours.

Early voting provides flexibility to voters who can’t take time off to vote during the week. Early voting helps people, especially women, overcome barriers that are preventing them from voting.

Election Day is on a weekday, and unlike some countries, in the United States it is not a holiday that all workers get off. Early voting provides voters with options.

It also helps to address historic and deep-rooted inequalities in the labor force that often prevent minorities or low-income citizens from participating in the electoral process.

Having more days for voting means faster and more efficient Election Day lines. Early voting means Election Day lines are shorter, and poll workers and election administrators can devote more time to making sure voting processes are working smoothly each day.

When the system works more efficiently, voter confidence in the system grows, which is key for encouraging active participation in our elections

Early voting helps combat potential voter suppression on Election Day. Early voting shortcuts many day-of voter suppression tactics, and gives the voter more time to address any issues that may arise with the voter’s ballot.

Early voting helps to reduce long lines on Election Day that may discourage voters from exercising their rights or make it impossible if they must return to work. It can also reduce burdens on election officials and staff.

Early voting is, in short, a no-brainer. It’s now time for the Hudson County Democratic Committee to promote it by encouraging people to vote early. And while they’re at it, they should also remind those who vote by mail to turn in their ballots.

Your vote is your voice. The more of us who vote, the most powerful is our democracy.
To find an early voting location near you, see https://nj.gov/state/elections/vote-early-voting.shtml.

Gerald Miller and Helen Blumenthal are members of Knitty Gritty Social JC, a local democracy action group geraldmiller@mmc-law.com, helen.blumenthal@gmail.com, astein18@gmail.com