10. The Surrender Rule
With the attack on the Postal Service comes the need for voters to walk their ballots into voting centers and "surrender" them. To avoid long lines and mass confusion, it's better to do that as early as possible.
Rules vary. But voters should always bring their envelopes as well as ballots. It can be possible to vote without them. But that could mean getting a provisional ballot, which may not be counted.
Before leaving, voters must confirm with poll workers that everything is properly filled out.
11. Election protection at the voting centers
Trump has promised $20 million for 50,000 paid, armed "volunteers" to threaten intimidation and violence at the voting centers. Nonviolent election protection activists -- lots of them -- will be needed to neutralize the assault.
Violent organized attacks, especially along racial lines, have been part of the American electoral reality since at least the end of the Civil War. Everyone who marched for George Floyd and police reform should now march to the polls to protect the vote.
12. Will Vote by Mail Mean Universal Paper Ballots?
Yes, VBM should mean a major transition to paper ballots, representing a huge leap away from the hackable electronic machines that have been used to steal so many of our elections in the past two decades.
True election protection also requires that all voting centers provide paper ballots to citizens who've not received them in the mail.
Appropriate electronic machines should be available for those with special needs.
But a hand-markable paper ballot must be available to all who want one, as the bulwark of this and all future elections.
Especially during this pandemic, electronic touch-screens can spread infection, and are even less acceptable than ever.
If the 2020 transition to paper ballots is successful, it can mark a major leap forward in all US elections to come. But getting there will require every ounce of our EP effort and energy.
13. Deadlines
Deadlines for ballot mail-out, postmarking, receipt, counting, recounting, and final reporting of the official tally must be clear and transparent to the public, the media, lawmakers, the courts ...and the world.
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