29 million and counting

The American flag waves in the wind at Woodstock Union High School & Middle School. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

The ever-rising tide of early votes kept on coming in recent days, hitting a total of 29 million ballots cast across the U.S. by Monday night. Early voting — both in-person and by mail — is now underway in all 50 states. 

That tide is also rising in Vermont, which just set a new record in the number of early or absentee ballots returned prior to Election Day. Vermont has exceeded 110,000 ballots cast, according to the Burlington Free Press, well outpacing the prior mark of over 95,000 early ballots returned in 2016.

"Our hard work preparing for the 2020 General Election during the COVID-19 health crisis has paid off already, as Vermonters have overwhelmingly embraced safe and secure voting options to cast their ballots,” Condos wrote in a statement, quoted in the BFP report.  

Here in Vermont and across the nation, the numerous election workers are to be commended for doing very important work in difficult circumstances amid the pandemic. They are the stewards of the counting process, during perhaps the most pivotal election in this nation's history. However, when it comes to the timing of the results, that will vary, due to different states having different rules around the processing of ballots. And the people know it. Just 50 percent of Americans believe there will be a clear winner of the 2020 race within two days of Election Day, according to the PBS NewsHour on Monday. 

As we near Election Day, it feels like we're moving farther and farther out into uncharted waters, and anxieties around the election seem to run high. However, it's important to remember something else many of us have in common: We want this to work. We want each other's voices to be heard, and we want everyone to stay safe while participating in, or working on, this election process. Those two elements underpin this crucial part of our democracy, and so, we must pull together, remain vigilant and ensure that the voting process remains functional in these coming weeks. It has never been more important to unify and show our support of these efforts. While we’re doing that, there’s always time to let some light shine into this process as well. The love and compassion that unify us are powerful, and, regardless of the situation, we can express those qualities, impart them to others, and dissolve fear.

— Gareth Henderson