Mail-in ballots

When I first became eligible to vote, back in the Stone Age (on my 18th birthday), there were two ways to vote: in person on Election Day, or by absentee ballot. In order to qualify for an absentee ballot, you had to promise to be absent on Election Day: away from home (at college, in the military, etc.), or planning something more dire, like a hospital stay or traveling for work. Thank goodness things have changed! Now you can vote early in person or with a mail-in ballot, like the one I receive for every election in Boston (despite the fact that I live only two blocks from my polling place). Some states send them automatically to every registered voter; other states require a sign-up (often online). No excuses necessary! Fill out your mail-in ballot at home and send it in by the deadline, or drop it in a ballot box or at a local election office. Easy peasy, so there's no excuse for not voting.