If you’ve been putting off casting your ballot, it’s time to get moving on that. Today in America is “Election Day”, although with the way things have been working this year, it’s really more of the Election “Deadline.” We’ve been talking for years in this country about how to make voting easier and more accessible to more people (well, some of us have; some of us are suing to keep thousands and thousands of legally cast ballots from being counted right now); lots of talk about making election day a national holiday (which, cool and all, but doesn’t do much for service or essential workers) and such. In this pandemic year, however, a lot of states have, through necessity, made it much easier to vote; expanding absentee and mail balloting, early voting, and other steps that have made it very easy to vote, over a long period. I voted and had my ballot accepted in September! The early turnout numbers are staggering; I expect record turnout this time around; in large part to voting being made more accessible.

The ‘Rona is good for something, I guess.

One thing we’ll likely see this time around, however, is that with all the early voting and certain states choosing not to adjust laws to keep pace (like not counting absentee ballots until after the polls close tonight), we’re unlikely to see a declared winner tonight. This is honestly always the case (no matter what some people are saying), as the results you hear on tv on election night are complex statistical projections; official, certified counts come days or weeks later when we’ve all already moved on to other headlines.

Tonight is likely going to be weird; and that’s okay. The media just doesn’t quite know how to report it given the current conditions.

The important thing is that you vote, and if you’re in one of those places where counting is in doubt, make your voice heard to your local officials, and tell them you want ALL the votes counted.

As for me tonight? I’ll work on keeping pace with the results, of course. And if things can be predicted with reasonable certainty and they go the way I’d like, I’ve got a crowler of an amazing barrel-aged cream ale waiting to help me celebrate.

Cheers.