Get the vote out now!
You already know you're busy—and you're just as likely to be busy Election Day as you are any other day. NFIB wants you to know that you don’t have to miss your opportunity to make your voice heard just because you have to keep your business running on Election Day!
In most states, the small-business community can take advantage of early voting to ensure that its voice is heard. Never again should the commitment of running a business come at the expense of exercising one’s right to vote.
What is early voting?
A 2002 Census Bureau study found that 19 million registered voters did not vote in the 2000 election. Ten percent of the non-voters said business kept them away from the polls: 1.9 million people with a tangible incentive to support business-friendly candidates did not vote.
Early voting lets you cast your ballot before Election Day. In one form or another, early voting has now been established in almost every state. There are three primary ways registered voters may cast their ballots early:
- Direct early voting
- Traditional absentee ballot
- In-person absentee ballot
Direct early voting
Voters go to the local elections office or designated polls during a specific period of time prior to Election Day to cast ballots in person. Voters will often use a standard voting machine or complete a regular ballot. In most cases, votes will not be tabulated until Election Day.
Traditional absentee ballot
Voters typically apply for an absentee ballot from their local elections office by mail. Most states require that voters state a reason for voting absentee. After the elections office receives the application, it sends a ballot to the voter, who returns the completed ballot to the elections office within a designated period of time.
In-person absentee ballot
Voters visit the local elections office to request an absentee ballot application. At the elections office, voters complete the application and fill out their ballot in person. In most states that offer in-person absentee, there is no required reason to vote early.
Register to vote, request an absentee ballot and find your polling place on Election Day
