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The numbers are alarming. More than half a million mail ballots cast in the 2024 elections were rejected and never counted. Not because they were illegitimate, but because voters often made easily avoidable mistakes. They forgot to sign and date the envelope or get a witness to sign. Or their signature was out of date. Or they simply used the wrong envelope.
That’s not to mention the thousands of other eligible voters who showed up at the polls that year and were unable to vote. They might have forgotten to bring the right ID, or their name wasn’t on the rolls, or they went to the wrong precinct.
That happened in Dallas County, Texas, this spring when confusion over new polling sites led to the disqualification of almost 2,000 ballots that were cast too late. There was plenty of blame to go around, but voters might have avoided losing their vote by checking in advance where they needed to go.
Americans are understandably anxious about the upcoming midterms. We have a president who repeatedly spreads false information about our elections and has threatened federal intervention if states don’t comply with his demands. Immigration enforcement raids have raised fears in many communities of potential violence at or near the polls.
Election administrators are working hard to maintain access to the polls and to ensure that, come November, we have free and fair elections. But they can’t do it alone. There are plenty of steps voters themselves can take to help and, in the process, increase public trust in the results.
Some actions are extremely simple. First, make sure your registration is accurate and up to date. It’s easy to check with your local election office or online at sites such as vote.gov. If your state uses a signature to verify your ballot, make sure the one on record resembles the one you use today. If not, update it now.
Next, make a plan to vote, whether by mail, at an early voting site or in person on election day. Know your options and the rules, which change frequently and vary from state to state. Do you need an excuse to vote by mail? Or ID? When can you cast your ballot? Again, check your state or local election website. If you have concerns about going to the polls by yourself, arrange to go with a friend.
Before you go, know your rights. No one is allowed to intimidate you or interfere with your vote. If you’re in line before polls close, stay until you cast your ballot. If you run into problems, talk to a local election official or check with a nonpartisan election protection hotline. You might be entitled to a provisional ballot, which can be evaluated later and might be counted.
Most states allow you to track your mail ballot online. Do it and make sure it’s counted. If you’ve made a mistake (did you sign the envelope?), you might be allowed to fix or “cure” the problem. If you don’t, your vote won’t count.
These steps alone could make the difference this November for hundreds of thousands of voters who might otherwise be disenfranchised.
But there’s much more you can do to secure our elections. Talk to your friends and neighbors and make sure they too are registered and have a plan to vote. Sign up to be a poll worker or observer. You’ll see firsthand why you probably don’t need to worry quite so much. It’s generally a secure, smooth process. When problems do arise, your fellow Americans usually bend over backward to try to fix them.
You also should pay attention to what your state and local governments are doing when it comes to running elections. Do officials have the resources they need to make voting efficient and accessible? Tell lawmakers what you think. Encourage others in your community to do the same.
Nationally, you also should stay informed and engaged. What are the federal government and courts doing that might affect your ability to vote? Is misinformation distorting the debate? Get involved. Speak out. If you think our elections are being unfairly attacked, say something. It might not seem like it, but lawmakers are greatly influenced by public opinion. Especially if they know you’re likely to vote.
That, of course, is the most important step. Millions of eligible American voters disenfranchise themselves simply by not showing up. They might be disinterested or discouraged. Or simply lazy.
I get it. You’re busy, and elections can be confusing. But voting is the greatest power most Americans have. You also have the power to protect that right. It belongs to us. Not the politicians, lawmakers or advocacy groups. Embrace and defend it, and feel good about doing so.
Pam Fessler is a former national correspondent for NPR News, where she covered voting issues for 20 years. She now advises election officials on communications with the public.
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Ideas expressed in the piece
The article underscores that large numbers of otherwise legitimate votes are lost because of avoidable errors, such as missing signatures, wrong envelopes, or confusion about polling places, and argues that individual voters can significantly reduce disenfranchisement by taking responsibility for these details ahead of time.
Building on this, the piece urges voters to verify that their registration is active and accurate, and to confirm that any signature used for mail ballots matches the one on file, echoing legal guidance that preparation before Election Day—checking registration status, polling place, and ID requirements—is among the most effective ways to protect one’s vote.[2][10]
The column stresses the importance of having a concrete plan to vote—whether by mail, early in person, or on Election Day—and of understanding state-specific rules that govern mail ballots, ID, and deadlines, aligning with nonpartisan voting-rights resources that advise voters to learn their state’s procedures and request absentee ballots early when needed.[2][4][10]
It further emphasizes knowing and asserting one’s legal rights at the polls: the article highlights that voters should not leave if they are in line when polls close, should ask for help from local election officials, and should request a provisional ballot if their eligibility is questioned, reflecting federal protections that guarantee the right to vote a provisional ballot, to receive assistance, and to be free from intimidation or harassment.[2][4][5][10]
The piece encourages voters who use mail ballots to track them online, to “cure” any identified errors, and to call nonpartisan hotlines if problems arise, mirroring guidance from civil-rights and election-protection organizations that promote ballot tracking, error correction, and use of hotlines such as Election Protection’s 866-OUR-VOTE for immediate help.[2][10][13]
In addition, the article argues that defending the right to vote involves community engagement: it calls on Americans to talk with friends and neighbors about registration and voting plans, to serve as poll workers or observers, and to see firsthand how election officials generally work hard to resolve problems, paralleling large volunteer election-safeguarding efforts and “know your rights” trainings aimed at empowering voters and monitoring polling places.[11][13]
The column also urges readers to stay attentive to how state and local governments administer elections—asking whether officials have adequate resources and whether voting is efficient and accessible—and to communicate directly with lawmakers, reflecting broader advocacy that presses officials to modernize and standardize voting access policies across the country.[1][14]
Finally, the article contends that the most powerful way Americans can protect the franchise is simply to vote, framing the ballot as the greatest civic power most citizens hold and insisting that the right to vote belongs to the public rather than politicians or advocacy groups, in line with constitutional and civil-rights narratives that describe voting as a foundational democratic right that must be actively exercised to retain its strength.[6][19]
Different views on the topic
In contrast to the article’s emphasis on individual preparation and error avoidance, many voting-rights advocates argue that systemic barriers and discriminatory laws—not just voter mistakes—are central drivers of disenfranchisement, and they call for stronger federal protections such as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act to restore preclearance, curb discriminatory voter ID laws, and establish national standards for access.[9][15][17][18]
Moreover, civil-rights organizations often stress that problems like long lines, polling-place closures, aggressive voter-roll purges, and restrictive mail-ballot rules amount to voter suppression, contending that the burden should not fall primarily on individual voters to navigate increasingly complex obstacles; instead, they focus on litigation, legislative advocacy, and public campaigns to dismantle these structural barriers.[1][8][16]
In addition, groups such as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the ACLU highlight that intimidation, misinformation, and partisan gerrymandering can distort elections even when voters follow all the rules, and therefore advocate for stronger legal penalties and explicit protections for election officials and voters against threats and coercion, arguing that legal reforms and enforcement are indispensable complements to personal vigilance.[9][11][16]
Legal analyses and official guidance also frame many voting problems as violations of law rather than mere logistical oversights: resources from the Department of Justice, the Election Assistance Commission, and legal practitioners emphasize that voters who face discrimination, intimidation, inaccessible polling places, or improper removal from registration rolls should file complaints, contact civil-rights attorneys, or pursue lawsuits, underscoring the role of formal legal remedies when rights are denied.[2][3][4][5][7][10]
Election-administration experts further stress that threats to electoral integrity—such as cyberattacks on voter registration databases, failures in voting machines, or inadequately protected vote-tabulation centers—can disenfranchise voters regardless of how carefully individuals prepare, and thus call for substantial institutional reforms and investments to safeguard election infrastructure alongside efforts to boost participation.[14]
Additionally, some democracy advocates argue that lasting protection of the franchise requires broad structural change at the state level, promoting state Voting Rights Acts that prohibit voter suppression and dilution, reinstate preclearance mechanisms, mandate language access and disability accommodations, and instruct courts to interpret election laws in favor of expansive participation, suggesting that legal architecture and judicial standards are as critical as individual voter behavior in defending the right to vote.[12][6]
Taken together, these perspectives maintain that while the steps outlined in the article—checking registration, planning to vote, knowing one’s rights, and engaging in one’s community—are valuable, they are insufficient on their own; according to these views, robust federal and state protections, vigilant enforcement against discrimination and intimidation, and significant reforms to election infrastructure are necessary to ensure that all eligible Americans can exercise their right to vote on equal terms.[1][9][15][17][18]
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