Vote in person if you’re young and healthy — it’s relatively safe, and your vote is more likely to count

Voters face a conundrum: Either vote in person and worry about coronavirus, or vote by mail and face a higher chance of a ballot being rejected.

Heather King in line at State Farm Arena, Georgia’s largest early-voting location, to cast her ballot on October 12 in Atlanta. Photo: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

By Susie Neilson

More than 66 million Americans have already voted. About 44 million of those have voted by mail — already far more than the 33 million mail-in votes cast in the 2016 election.

That’s largely because of the coronavirus pandemic: Because of public-health concerns, most states allow voting by mail this year. All but five states are letting all (or nearly all) voters mail their ballots, and nearly 40% of American voters have said they plan to do so this year.

But if you are young and healthy, here’s a suggestion: Don’t vote by mail. Cast a ballot in person instead.

Experts do not consider going to a polling place any more dangerous than a trip to the grocery store, as long as voters follow common-sense safety protocols like mask-wearing and social distancing. And voting in person means your vote is more likely to be counted: Historically, only about .01% of in-person ballots get rejected, compared with about 1% of mail-in ballots, though rejection rates vary significantly by state.