Early voting to winner: All US presidential elections questions answered

With less than two weeks to go for the US
Presidential elections, more than 25 million people have already voted for
their presidential candidate in a year marred by the coronavirus pandemic. The candidates for the November 3 elections are incumbent
President Donald Trump who will be representing the Republican Party and his
opponent Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Here are some of the frequently asked
questions that plague people alien to the concept of US Presidential election.

Who can vote in the upcoming election?

According 
to the official US government election website,  a US citizen needs to meet their state’s residency requirements.

A citizen who is 18-years-old on or before Election Day, in almost every state, can register to
vote before if they will be 18 by Election Day, and are registered to vote by your state’s voter
registration deadline. 

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When can I vote?

One can vote at their polling place through
in-person voting on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Where can I vote?

Find out where to vote in advance by
contacting the state or territorial election office. Then cast your vote at your
assigned polling station. You can also choose to vote through Mail-in Absentee
Ballot or Vote by Mail, some states also allow early voting.

What is the difference between an Absentee
ballot and Vote by Mail?

According to the USA.gov, an absentee ballot
is used to cast an absentee vote, which is submitted usually by mail.

States
allow absentee voting only if a voter has a “valid excuse.” However,
keeping the coronavirus pandemic in mind, states have ushered in voting reforms
that allow citizens to “Vote by Mail.”

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What is Early voting?

The USA.gov states, that sometimes voting
on election day can be difficult, hence certain state allow citizens to vote during
a designated early voting period.

 Has
voting changed due to coronavirus?

Yes the ongoing pandemic has made in-person
voting difficult. The USA.gov website says ”
States are making it easier for citizens to vote absentee by mail this year due
to the coronavirus.”

It however, emphasises that
absentee voting rules vary from state to state. 

The website also adds that due to the
coronavirus pandemic, some states may automatically send an absentee ballot to its citizens.

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How do I vote by Mail?

A voter must procure an absentee ballot ahead
of time either through the “Can I vote” website or the USA.gov website.

To restrict vote-in mail fraud, only people who are registered to vote can get an
absentee ballot.

One must knows their “state’s
deadlines for requesting and returning your absentee ballot.” After getting an absentee ballot, one must fill it up carefully.

One can send their vote by postal mail. They can also check for other ways to return their absentee ballots besides postal
mail. The USA.gov website states that some states have allocated ballot drop
boxes. While others states allow citizens to return their ballot in person.

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What are Americans voting for?

While the future of the two Presidential
candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden will be decided through November 3
elections, there are other Congress and senate representatives who will seek re-election
on the Election Day.

According to AFP, “In addition to voting for president,
millions of US voters will also chose their congressional representatives in
November.”

Residents of various state across the US will
also vote for key races in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Citizens of 11 of 50 US states, will vote
for a new governor, states an AFP report.

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“Thousands of elected officials are also up for renewal at the
local level: races for state legislative bodies, judges, city councils, mayors,
county officials, sheriffs and more, ” news agency AFP also states.

Who are the two Presidential candidates?

The two presidential candidates for the
up-coming US Election 2020 are: incumbent Donald J Trump of the Republican
Party and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

Who are the two Vice-Presidential candidates?

The Vice-Presidential candidate for the
Republican party is Mike Pence, while Kamala Harris for the Democratic party, is
the first African American, first Asian American and third female vice
President on a major party ticket.

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Will there be a clear winner on Election
night?

With millions expected to vote by mail, it is completely possible that states may not have final election result even days after the  end of voting, according to news media outlet CNN.

How can I make sure that my mail-in ballot
has been received and counted?

Tracking one’s ballot is an effective way to
know whether ones mail-in ballot has been received and counted.

Most states in
coordination with the US Postal service provides voter ballots with a code, as
per CNN. The code allows individuals to track their ballot.