Decision 2020: Super Mail-In Ballot Adventure!

You are an informed and politically active Chicagoan, registered to vote. Having researched each candidate thoroughly, you’ve decided to vote by mail with an absentee ballot. It can be a confusing process, but with enough time and effort, you can make sure your vote is registered and counted. Illinois will mail an absentee ballot to anyone who voted in the 2018 General Election, the 2019 municipal election, or the March 17 primary election, as well as people who registered to vote or changed their address before the primaries. However, you still need to fill out a mail ballot application form. Where can you go to fill out one of these forms? [[My mailbox, since I'm a registered voter.]] [[The Illinois Absentee Ballot Tool on Vote.org.]] [[The replies of a Twitter post telling people to vote.]]

Not necessarily! Voting, like most other things in the US, is an extremely bureaucratic process. You’ll need to do some more digging to find the form! [[Back|Node 1]]

Correct! This helpful form can help you prepare and print out an application for an absentee ballot, which you can later return to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. [[Next|Node 2]]

Oops! All you’ll find here are bad-faith arguments about how the electoral system is flawed. A quick scroll through immediately crushes your faith in the democratic process and you decide to lie on your couch for a while watching The Office instead of voting. [[Back|Node 1]]

You’ve turned in your application form, and a few weeks later, your ballot has arrived. You want to double-check that you have all the right papers and documents so you don’t mess it up this early in the process. What documents are in a proper mail-in ballot? [[The ballot and return envelope.]] [[The ballot, instructions on how to use it and mail it, a security envelope and certification, and a larger mailing envelope.]] [[The ballot, an unmarked envelope of foreign cash, a strange sigil, and a scrap of paper indicating an alleyway and a time late at night.]]

Nope! Ballots are too valuable to just send them straight through the mail. You need a security envelope to help cover up your votes! [[Back|Node 2]]

Correct! Security envelopes help cover your vote for, well, security purposes, and instructions help you understand how exactly to use your ballot! [[Next|Node 3]]

Nope! Uh, probably report something like that to the police. [[Back|Node 2]]

You’ve checked, and sure enough, all the documents are there! Now that you’ve got your documents in order, it’s time to fill out the ballot. On the ballot will be the offices, candidates’ names, and any propositions. After checking to see if there are two sides on the ballot, what do you fill it out with? [[Any writing utensil]] [[Any color ballpoint pen]] [[Specifically a black ballpoint pen]]

Nope! To scan properly, the ballot must be filled in with black ink. Pencil won’t work, and marker can easily bleed. [[Back|Node 3]]

Nope! Only black ink will register on ballot machines. [[Back|Node 3]]

Correct! This is so that the ballot will scan properly in machines. [[Next|Node 4]]

After filling in the rest of the ballot, now comes the big choice: who do you vote for president? [[Democratic: Joseph R. Biden, Kamala D. Harris]] [[Republican: Donald J. Trump, Michael R. Pence]] [[Green: Howie Hawkins, Angela Walker]] [[Party for Socialism & Liberation: Gloria La Riva, Leonard Peltier]] [[American Solidarity Party: Brian Carrol, Amar Patel]] [[Libertarian: Jo Jorgensen, Jeremy “Spike” Cohen]] [[Write-in: Dr. Joyce Kenner, Godolf Phinnes]]

You proudly mark your vote for Biden. Wow, it feels great to participate in the democratic process! (set: $vote = "dem") [[Next|Node 5]]

Alright. You, uh. You scribble in the little oval next to Republican. I mean. I did give you the option, and you did choose it. That's how democracy works, after all. (set: $vote = "rep") [[Next|Node 5]]

Oooh, third party! You know what you stand for, and that's respectable. Even if your vote does end up being an entirely symbolic gesture, it's the thought that counts, right? (set: $vote = "green") [[Next|Node 5]]

A //true// socialist would decry the electoral process entirely, or so I hear randos with numbers after their handle claim on Twitter. In either case you clearly don't care how other people think about your vote. (set: $vote = "soc") [[Next|Node 5]]

[Snarky comment intentionally left out.] (set: $vote = "asp") [[Next|Node 5]]

You have an active Reddit account, a collection of ill-fitting fedoras, strong opinions about Evangelion girls and Linux distros, and you're putting your trust in a man who's decided to be known professionally as "Spike". Cool. (set: $vote = "lib") [[Next|Node 5]]

You half-jokingly put in our school principal as a write-in candidate. (set:$vote = "wy") [[Next|Node 5]]

Almost done! With your ballot properly filled out and sealed (no postage necessary), you go out to mail it. Where can you mail an official election ballot? [[Any mailbox]] [[Official drop off ballot boxes only]] [[Any box]]

Nope! For security reasons, use official ballot drop boxes only. [[Back|Node 5]]

Correct! Official ballot drop boxes have “official ballot drop box” written on them, officially. [[Next|Finale]]

Nope! Boxes have a wide variety of purposes other than mail, and some of them belong to other people. [[Back|Node 5]]

You proudly drop off your ballot in a ballot box and go home. A couple weeks later, the results are announced. [[Watch the news]]

(if:$vote is "wy") [(CNN) Anderson Cooper: In a surprising landslide victory, Chicago high school principal Dr. Joyce Kenner has won the Presidential Election with 99% of the popular vote. Hold on, am I reading this right? A high school principal- You flip through the news channels. Pundits and experts alike are flabbergasted at this unprecedented event. It's been 52 years since a third-party candidate's even won a state, much less a write-in candidate winning an entire country. Republicans are in complete and utter shock. Democrats find some way to blame Bernie supporters. The nation is completely divided. Dr. Kenner goes on to hold one of the most progressive terms in presidential office. Her most notable achievements include abolishing police, establishing renewable energy, and winning 4 Grammies for loudest spoken-word album. Her diplomatic skills have led to the resolution of almost every geopolitical conflict in the Middle East. The world has been permanently improved under her rule. You step outside. WYHS has bought every building in a 5 mile radius and incorporated it into a vast bridge network. Flying cars float peacefully over the former city streets, now vast community gardens tended to lovingly by grateful Chicagoans. The equal development of STEM and humanities programs has led to a futuristic, post-scarcity age. You take a breath of fresh air. You're glad you voted. **TRUE ENDING**] (elseif:$vote is "dem") [(CNN) Anderson Cooper: Joe Biden has won the Presidential Election with 55% of the popular vote. Finally, you think to yourself. A return to normalcy. **GOOD ENDING**] (elseif:$vote is "rep") [(CNN) Anderson Cooper: Donald Trump has won the Presidential Election with 55% of the popular vote. Uh oh. **BAD ENDING**] (elseif:$vote is "green") [(CNN) Anderson Cooper: Howie Hawkins has won the Presidential Election with 55% of the popular vote. Oh, a third party won! You should probably buy a lottery ticket. **UNEXPECTED ENDING**] (elseif:$vote is "soc") [(CNN) Anderson Cooper: Gloria La Riva has won the Presidential Election with 55% of the popular vote. Uncritical support, comrade! You listen to a couple hours of Trappo Chap House in celebration. **JUCHEIST ENDING**] (elseif:$vote is "asp") [(CNN) Anderson Cooper: Brian Carol has won the Presidential Election with 55% of the popular vote. Oh no. **REALLY BAD ENDING**] (elseif:$vote is "lib") [(CNN) Anderson Cooper: Jo Jorgensen has won the Presidential Election with 55% of the popular vote. Uh, okay. I guess this means a smaller government or something? **DECENTRALIZED BLOCKCHAIN P2P ENDING**]