We have heard that many Friends, Quaker meetings and Quaker interest groups are active in supporting voter registration both among nearby populations and within their meetings. As a non-profit organization, the yearly meeting refrains from involvement in political activities to avoid partisanship. Friends have brought urgent concern to the clerks’ group about the need to provide information and encouragement to vote in this election. After very considerable discernment and prayerful consideration, the Clerks group has reached unity on providing that information to Friends across the yearly meeting. We want to share with you both the foundation and the fruits of that decision.
Elections are fundamental to our democratic system. The hard-won enfranchisement of all US citizens needs to be exercised at every opportunity. This aligns with our testimony on equality (one person, one vote) and allows each individual to examine their conscience and share in support for the common good.
Our good intentions can sometimes be blocked by the realities of the situation that seem beyond our control. Impediments to voting, where they exist (like a moved polling place, fears about the coronavirus, or the imperatives of work or family responsibilities) have potential solutions. Sometimes it is difficult to find those solutions without information and planning. It felt important to make it easy for Friends to find the information they needed to cast a ballot in this election, and to help remove barriers where possible.
Unlike in our Meetings for Worship with attention to Business, we cannot just say “that Friend speaks my mind”; each of us has the opportunity to allow our voice to be heard.
Our yearly meeting spans four states: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We have provided separate information for each state, since each state has its own requirements.
Please use the information below to make sure:
Verify that you are registered to vote
https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/
Register Now!
https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote/
Request Your Absentee Ballot
https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot/
You know where your polling place is located (it may have moved) and have a plan on how you are getting there on election day. You are prepared to wait if necessary (bring snacks) for as long as necessary to cast your ballot. If you choose to vote in person, we encourage Friends to pool resources for making that work.
https://www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/
Friends wanting to become more directly engaged in phone banking or other “get out the vote” activities might want to consider forming a Sprint for that purpose.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES BY STATE
DELAWARE
Registration Deadlines:
- In Person: 24 days before Election Day.
- By Mail: Postmarked 24 days before Election Day
- Online: The fourth Saturday before Election Day
Election day registration:
- No election day registration
Registration eligibility:
- be a citizen of the United States;
- be a permanent resident of Delaware;
be at least 18 years old on the date of the next general election; - not be mentally incompetent;
- if you are a felon, you are eligible to vote as long as you have served your sentence (including parole) and your convictions were not for disqualifying felonies: murder and manslaughter (except vehicular homicide), sexual offenses, or crimes against public administration involving bribery or improper influence or abuse of office.
How to register:
- Use the Register to Vote Tool to fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
- Sign and date your form. This is very important!
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address provided at the Register to Vote tool.
- Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline.
Absentee voter eligibility:
- You are in the public service of the United States or the State of Delaware and are unable to come to the polls
- Your business or occupation prevents you from coming to the polls, including if your occupation is the care of a family member who is at home due to illness, disability, or injury
- You are a student who is away at college or university
- You are incarcerated but otherwise eligible to vote.
- You are on vacation
- The tenets or teachings of your religion prevent you from coming to the polls
- You are experiencing a temporary or permanent illness or physical disability
Absentee application and voting deadlines:
- In Person: Received 4 days before Election Day
- By Mail: Received 4 days before Election Day
- Online: Received 4 days before Election Day
- Absentee ballot is due: Received by election Day
Early voting dates:
- NO early voting
Voter ID requirements:
- You are not required to show ID to vote in person in Delaware, but bring one of the following if you have it to speed up the process:
- A current Delaware Drivers License or State ID
- S. passport
- Signed social security card, polling place card, or vehicle registration
- Signed credit card with photo
- A similar document that identifies you by photo or signature
- If you don’t bring any ID, you’ll need to fill out a form before you can vote.
Weblinks:
- Delaware elections website: https://elections.delaware.gov/index.shtml
- Local office website: https://elections.delaware.gov/contact.shtml
- Voter registration lookup: https://ivote.de.gov/VoterView
- Register to vote in DE: https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote/delaware/
- DE absentee ballot: https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot/delaware/
MARYLAND:
Registration Deadlines:
- In Person: 21 days before Election Day.
- You may also register during early voting or on Election Day with proof of address. See Election Day registration instructions.
- By Mail: Postmarked 21 days before Election Day.
- Online: 21 days before Election Day.
- Day of registration: Yes. You can register to vote in-person during early voting and on Election Day. You will need to bring your MVA-issued license, ID card, or change of address card, or a paycheck, bank statement, utility bill, or other government document that has your name and current address.
Election day registration:
- You can register to vote in-person during early voting and on Election Day. You will need to bring your MVA-issued license, ID card, or change of address card, or a paycheck, bank statement, utility bill, or other government document that has your name and current address
Registration Eligibility:
- be a U.S. citizen
- be a Maryland resident
- be at least 18 years old by the next general election
- not be under guardianship for mental disability
- not have been convicted of buying or selling votes
- not have been convicted of a felony, or if you have, have completed serving a court ordered sentence of imprisonment
How to register:
- Use the Register to Vote Tool to fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
- Sign and date your form. This is very important!
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address provided by the Register to Vote tool
- Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline.
Absentee voter eligibility:
- Any registered Maryland voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail
Absentee application and voting deadlines:
- In Person: Received 7 days before Election Day
- By Mail: Received 14 days before Election Day
- Online: Received 14 days before Election Day
- Absentee ballots are due: Postmarked on or before Election Day and received by 10am, 10 days after Election Day
How to get an Absentee ballot:
- Use theAbsentee Ballot Tool(https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot/) to prepare your application.
- Sign and date the form. This is very important!
- Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible.
- The Absentee Ballot Tool will provide the mailing address for you
- All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. Your Local Election Official will also let you fax or email the application.
- Double-check the deadlines and be sure to cast your voted ballot on time to be sure it is counted.
- Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
Once you have your absentee ballot:
- Carefully read and follow the instructions
- Sign and date where indicated
- Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope
- Double-check the deadlines and be sure to cast your voted ballot on time to be sure it is counted
Early voting dates:
- Starts: the second Monday before the election
- Ends: the Thursday before the election.
Voter ID requirements:
- If you’ve voted in Maryland before or provided ID at the time of registration, you don’t need to provide ID to vote in person.
- If you’re voting for the first time in Maryland and submitted your registration by mail you may be asked to show one of the following forms of ID: copy of a current and valid photo ID (i.e., Maryland driver’s license, MVA ID card, student, employee, or military ID card, U.S. passport, or any other State or federal government-issued ID card); or a copy of a utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and address and that is dated within 3 months of the election.
Web links
- https://elections.maryland.gov/
- https://elections.maryland.gov/about/county_boards.html
- https://elections.maryland.gov/voting/where.html
- https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch
- https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote/maryland/
- https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot/maryland/
NEW JERSEY:
Registration deadlines:
- In Person: 21 days before Election Day
- By Mail: Postmarked 21 days before Election Day
- Online: N/A
Election Day Registration:
- No election Day registration
Registration eligibility:
- be a citizen of the United States
- be at least 17 years of age; you may register to vote if you are at least 17 years old but cannot vote until reaching the age of 18
- be a resident of NJ and your county and at your address at least 30 days before the next election
- not be serving a sentence or on parole or probation as the result of a conviction of any indictable offense under the laws of this or another state or of the United States
- not be declared mentally incompetent by a court
How to register to vote:
- Use the Register to Vote Tool to fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
- Sign and date your form. This is very important!
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address provided by the Register to Vote tool
- Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline
Eligibility for Absentee:
- Any registered New Jersey voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail
Absentee application and voting deadlines:
- In Person: Received by 3pm, the day before Election Day
- By Mail: Received 7 days before Election Day
- Online: N/A
- Absentee ballot is due: Postmarked by Election Day and received 7 days after the election by 8PM
How to get your absentee ballot:
- Use the Absentee Ballot Tool to prepare your application
- Sign and date the form. This is very important!
- Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. The Absentee Ballot Tool provides the mailing address for you.
- All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it’s close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
- Double-check the deadlines and be sure to cast your voted ballot on time to be sure it is counted.
- Contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
Once you receive the ballot:
- Carefully read and follow the instructions
- Sign and date where indicated
- Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope
- Double-check the deadlines and be sure to cast your voted ballot on time to be sure it is counted.
Early voting dates:
- Starts: 45 days before the election day
- Ends: 3pm on the day before the election (in-person absentee voting).
Voter ID requirements:
- If you’ve voted in New Jersey before, registered in person, or provided ID at the time of registration, you don’t need to show ID to vote
- If you’re voting in New Jersey for the first time, registered to vote by mail, and didn’t provide ID when you registered, be sure to bring a copy of your photo ID, or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document that shows your name and address when you vote
Weblinks:
- https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/index.shtml
- https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/county-election-officals.shtml
- https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/polling-place-search
- https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote/new-jersey/
- https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot/new-jersey/
PENNSYLVANIA:
Registration deadline:
- In Person: 15 days before Election Day
- By Mail: Received 15 days before Election Day
- Online: 15 days before Election Day
Election day registration:
- No election day registration
Registration eligibility:
- be a citizen of the United States at least one month before the next election
- be a resident of Pennsylvania and your election district at least 30 days before Election Day
- be at least 18 years of age on the day of the next election
- not be incarcerated after conviction for a felony (your voting rights are restored immediately after incarceration)
- not have been convicted of violating any provision of the Pennsylvania Election Code within the last four years
How to register:
- Use the Register to Vote Tool to fill out the National Voter Registration Form
- Sign and date your form. This is very important!
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address provided by the Voter Registration Tool
- Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline
Absentee ballot eligibility:
- Any registered Pennsylvania voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail.
Absentee ballot application and voting deadlines:
- In Person: Received 7 days before Election Day
- By Mail: Received 7 days before Election Day
- Online: Received 7 days before Election Day
- Absentee ballots are Due: Received by 8pm on Election Day
How to get an absentee ballot:
- Use the Absentee Ballot Tool to prepare your application
- Sign and date the form. This is very important!
- Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. The Absentee Ballot Tool will provide the mailing address for you.
- All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it’s close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
- Double-check the deadlines and be sure to cast your voted ballot on time to be sure it is counted.
- Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
Once you receive the absentee ballot:
- carefully read and follow the instructions
- Sign and date where indicated
- Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope
- Double-check the deadlines and be sure to cast your vote ballot on time to be sure it is counted
Early voting dates:
- Starts: varies by county. Pennsylvania does not offer early voting, but counties may make mail ballots available to voters in person up to 50 days before Election Day.
- Ends: mail ballots may be dropped off in county offices until Election Day.
Voter ID requirements:
- PA driver’s license or PennDOT ID
- Photo ID issued by any Pennsylvania agency or the US government
- US passport
- US Armed Forces ID
- Student ID
- Employee ID
- If you don’t have a photo ID you can bring non-photo ID that shows your name and address, such as:
- Confirmation from a county voter registration office
- Non-photo ID issued by Pennsylvania or the US government
- Firearm permit
- Current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or government check
Weblinks:
- https://www.dos.pa.gov/VotingElections/Pages/default.aspx
- https://www.votespa.com/Resources/Pages/Contact-Your-Election-Officials.aspx
- https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/PollingPlaceInfo.aspx
- https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/BallotTracking.aspx
- https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote/pennsylvania/
- https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot/pennsylvania/
