Trump doesn’t seem to understand how voting works. Here’s what you need to know

The presidential election is officially on 3 November, but you can request your mail-in ballot in many states today. North Carolina even begins mailing out ballots today.

This year, understanding the voting process is as crucial as ever. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the election is fraught with confusion and fear. Donald Trump has consistently railed against vote by mail, falsely citing voter fraud, though he uses the system himself. And there is heightened concern that the US Postal Service will not be able to deliver ballots in a timely manner because of poor management by the new Trump-appointed postmaster, and chronic underfunding.

To help clarify the voting process, and ensure ballots are counted, the Guardian has created a guide to the election in partnership with the Brennan Center for Justice, a voting rights not-for-profit. Here’s what you need to know.

So you want to register to vote…

Earlier this year there was a stark drop in voter registrations because Covid hampered outreach efforts to sign up voters. It’s especially important this year to register to vote on time, and to check your voter registration before an election, particularly if you’ve moved or are temporarily living elsewhere because of the pandemic.

States may have purged you from their voter rolls if they think you moved. To check if you are already registered or eligible to register in a state, you can call your local elections office, or see if they have a database online.

So you want to vote by mail…

Experts expect about 50% of Americans to vote by mail this year, though states have different rules on whether or not someone can vote by mail. In general, if you request and submit a ballot on time and fill it out correctly, it is a safe and secure way to have your vote counted. This year, election officials are recommending that voters mail in their ballots as soon as possible to avoid any USPS delays.

But mail-in ballots can be rejected because of small errors on the ballot or envelope. In this year’s primary elections, upwards of 500,000 ballots were rejected because they were postmarked too late or had an error. And some states require that you have a witness or notary present when signing your ballot. Be sure to leave ample time to read instructions carefully and ask an election official if you’re unsure how to prepare your ballot to cast a vote. In some states you can also track your ballot to see if it has reached an elections office.

Some states will compare the signature you give on your mail-in ballot to your voter registration record, so it’s important that you sign carefully and use the signature that looks like the one election officials have on file (you can call your election office to find out what that is if you are unsure). Some states require voters to put their ballot in a secrecy envelope that then goes into another envelope before they return it. Be sure to sign and date where noted on both envelopes.

If your ballot is destroyed or lost, contact your election official to find out how to get a new ballot. If you decide that you would like to vote in person after requesting a mail-in ballot, contact your local election official to find out what the process for that is.

The USPS recommends putting your ballot in the mail at least a week ahead of the election to make sure it gets to an election office on time. If you think it won’t arrive on time, some election offices are setting up secure dropboxes where people can leave their ballots without having to rely on the mail. Call your local election office to find out what options might be available.

So you want to vote in person…

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and a lack of poll workers, there are likely to be far fewer polling locations than usual. This could contribute to long lines on election day, as we saw during the primary elections across the country, as well as curtailed social distancing measures.

Depending on where you live, you can try to avoid the long lines by voting during the early voting period, which can span a few days or weeks before the election, with the earliest dates starting in mid-September. Business Insider has a great chart on early voting dates here.

Whether or not you are voting early or on election day, it is recommended that you wear a mask, and sanitize your hands before and after touching any pens, ballots or stickers. When you get to your polling station be sure to practice physical distancing by trying to keep at least a 6ft distance between you and other people. There is a risk of voting in person – voters contracted Covid-19 during the primary elections in several states, as did poll workers. Consider your own risk factors, such as age or underlying health problems, when deciding whether to vote in person or by mail.

When will we know the election results?

While Americans are accustomed to finding out their next president on election night, that’s not likely to happen this year. Mail-in ballots can take days to count, and election offices are already understaffed and underfunded. Experts say we should be prepared to wait for election results unless there’s a landslide victory on 3 November.

Know your rights

• If the polls close while you’re in line, you have the right to stay in line until you vote.

• If there’s a voting machine error or breakdown at the polling station, you can cast a paper ballot.

• Voter intimidation is illegal, including if someone is aggressively questioning your citizenship or criminal record.

• There is no language requirement to vote.

• If a poll worker says your name is not on the voter roll, you can request that they check the statewide system or on a list of supplemental voters. If they still can’t find it, you can cast a provisional ballot.

• Every polling station should be accessible to people with disabilities, under federal law.

The ACLU has a comprehensive list of voter rights here, including hotlines and phone numbers you can call on site if you run into an issue.