I always check online a few days after I’ve mailed my ballot to make sure it was received-- generally it shows up about 5 business days after I mail it. Technically it is ok if postmarked by election day – but if it was nearer to the election I would physically drop it off at a polling location to be sure.
I voted in person last week because this year, for the first time, I am going to be a poll worker. Not surprised to see more of us here on CC. I’m sort of looking forward to it, as much as I look forward to anything that means I have to get up at 5AM 
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/31/politics/changing-early-vote-cast/
Many of you early voters can actually change your mind, nullify your vote and vote for someone else! One state (Wisconsin) lets you change your mind up to 3 times!
So poll workers, what is the average age of poll workers where you are stationed? My mom thinks she is the youngest at about 80. And how much do you get paid? She gets paid about $100 for the entire day (more than 12 hours). @thumper1 @mamabear1234 @OHMomof2
As a fairly new California resident, it certainly is an interesting ballot! Not only the 17 state propositions, but two county measures and 12 city measures (San Diego). So 31 altogether. DH and I have been researching for a while and filling out our sample ballots. I looked up the editorial positions from four different newspapers in the state - they only disagree on 5 of the 17 propositions. We learned the reason there are so many is that voter turnout in the 2014 election was low. And the required signatures to add a proposition to the current ballot is based on that turnout, so less signatures than normal were required.
We like to walk over to a polling place and vote on Election Day. It just feels right to us and we have the time so why not!
The ads have been overwhelming. Props, measures, candidates - almost no Presidential ads since we apparently are a 99% sure state. Haven’t seen much for our Congressional district but the next district north advertises multiple times during the same commercial break. I finally realized why hearing “Prop 51” and “Prop 54” etc. sounded familiar - the Trop50 commercials Jane Krakowski does. Trop50, Prop50, whatever!
My brother just received a call from some political group, asking if he’d received his ballot in the mail. He said no, but that he was planning on voting at a polling place on Tuesday. Then the worker asked if he could vote on Sat. Brother said he would vote on Tuesday, election day, at Eisenhower Park (it’s a rec center), just like he had the last several elections. Seemed to confuse the worker. Somehow the worker thought that wasn’t possible to vote on election day, that he needed to vote on Saturday. Clearly no training given to the worker.
@CheddarcheeseMN I am not sure. It looks like it might be about $150 or so. I was assigned to my own polling place (said when I signed up I was willing to go anywhere in the county) and as a longtime voter there I can say most of the workers are retired, but there are a handful of younger ones. We have a college in our district too so election day is generally very busy…will report back after I’ve actually done it 
I’ve been training phonebankers. Most are pretty sharp, but we get the odd one who doesn’t catch on very quickly.
Our phonebankers like calling North Carolina better than calling Nevada and Arizona. The North Carolinians are much nicer.
Well there is incentive to never miss an election!
We earn $170 for 17 hours of work plus $25 for two hours of pre-training in May. One man is around 30, a woman is around 40, and the rest of us are between 65 and 80. Sort of like my cardiac rehab group. I like chatting with the other poll inspectors as well as friends who I see only on election day or primary day. It’s nice to meet a spouse or someone I only knew by name.
I ;live in a one-party town that has voted one way for 60 years. No drama, controversy, or recounts allowed.
@OHMomof2 you can sleep until 5 a.m.? We have to be IN our polling place at 5:15. It takes me longer to get ready and get there than 15 minutes! I’ll be getting up about 4:30.
We get paid $15 an hour for 16 hours or so Election Day. Plus we get paid for an hour of mandatory training (which we had last night…it took two hours). Maybe I get more because I’m a trained moderator…I don’t know what everyone else gets paid!
To anyone interested…it is an interesting but long day.
ETA…we have a variety of ages of poll workers. There were 30 at our training last night…some were high school students, some retirees, and some in between.
Voted. Leaving for a week of work in Iowa tomorrow morning.
I voted on Halloween, since we have 0 - 6 kids come by each year, and my H could restrain himself enough for that many kids
There were really no lines, and it was a fine experience.
I voted early this year for the first time. Normally I go on the election day itself and always took daughter with me even though she could not vote.
Of course this time, it was pretty special for me - My D is a newly minted voter having just turned 18, so this is her very first election ever to vote. (with it being her senior year and the craziness, we wanted to go when we had a calm moment together).
@the folks that did not get sample ballot’s in time, in each state there is a League of Women Voter chapter online for that state (and then locally). Each one will list whatever is being voted - the break down, explanation, etc. They will NOT suggest how to vote - only give information in laymen terminology. It’s refreshing actually
In the last election that I phone banked for (2012), almost no one answered their phone. I remember calling for 1.5 hors one night, and not reaching a single person. I do like door knocking. And I really like get out the vote door knocking – you are only going to addresses where a voter has already said they are planning to vote for your candidate.
@CheddarcheeseMN - my daughter worked polls one day when she was in high school, age 17. She was paid about $115 for the day. That would have been 12 years ago … the pay rate might have gone up since then. There was some sort of program for high school seniors, encouraging them to sign up – and of course they were excused from school for the day. For her, it was a definite educational and eye-opening experience.
I think the reason that there aren’t a lot of youngsters is simply that it’s hard for people to get away from other commitments to do it - starts very early, ends very late. The low level of compensation might also be more attractive to a retiree, not so much for anyone else.
In our state, school students cannot work thenpolls for more than 8 hours. So they work a half day. And yes, they are excused from school. Most work the afternoon shift starting at 1 or 2.
absentee ballot comes in the mail, fill it in send it back. no lines, no waiting. best choice (IMO)
My D2 is FRUSTRATED by the voting process. She is 19, a sophomore away at college. Registered to vote as soon as she turned 18. Requested an absentee ballot weeks ago. Still hasn’t received it - made a call a week or so ago and again today. Was told that our county (in Ohio) was one of several counties that have had mailing snafus with the absentee ballots - the person on the line seemed to fault the post office. At this point her best bet is to TRY and vote provisional in her college town but would have to then change her voting address to do that (at the poll it sounds like - which will probably be a ZOO).
She is my 3rd college student - I don’t think the process has “worked” smoothly for any of mine. Seems like we should be able to iron out the college student voting process better! SO many of them, SO important! 
My kids voted absentee while in college with no difficulties at all…including the 2012 election when one kid was in Rwanda in the Peace Corps.
I believe if your kid wants to vote in her college town, she will have to do EDR (Election Day registration). She will have to show proof of residency in that community. Required is something with her name and address printed on it…driver’s license, utility bill, passport. Actually, when registering, I believe you need two of the ID forms…photo ID so they know you are you…and something with address on it.