The first presidential debate is coming up fast, but voting has already begun in some states. We asked readers if they’ve made up their mind—and if anything might change that.
Well, the debates lie ahead—and we’ve got a while until election day yet—but nearly all (95%) of this week’s respondents say they’ve already made up their mind.
As for whether something might happen that would change their minds, 85% said “no.” Another one-in-eight qualified their response as “possibly, but I don’t think so,” while the rest said it was a possibility.
All that notwithstanding, nearly three-quarters (74%) say they will watch the September 29 presidential candidate debate (19% not sure, 7% won’t), though only 57% say they’ll check in on the other two presidential candidate debates (10/15 and 10/22). On the other hand, 27% aren’t sure—perhaps that will depend on the outcome of the first?
As for the October 7 debate between vice presidential candidates, 63% will watch, with 28% not sure (the remaining 9% won’t, of course).
As for their votes:
66% - in person
16% - via mail-in ballot
9% - via absentee ballot
The rest haven’t decided yet.
And yes, we had reader comments—here’s a sampling:
I know every time we say “this is the most consequential election” in our history, I really feel like it is this time.
My state will not allow mail in voting for me.
I will be early voting in-person.
I doubt I’ll watch the Presidential debates because they will spew so much inaccuracy, it won’t be worth my time. I will absolutely watch the Vice President debate.
I just hope we actually have the results soon after 11/3!
If you don’t vote, I don’t want to hear your opinion. Some people are voting early. I want to wait until election day in case there’s late news, like Candidate A hates puppies or likes thunderstorms, that hasn’t been revealed yet. I’m fairly sure I’m not voting for Major Party Candidate A. I have to decide if I can stomach Major Party Candidate B or if I want to pick someone else on the ballot.
I have never been more concerned about voting fraud in my life. Mail-in makes it too easy to stuff the ballots. Hey Bob, how many are we short? Here ya go.
Our state’s vote by mail set-up allows us to drop off our ballots at voting centers. One of them is at the county’s board of elections office, right down the road. That’s where I’ll be submitting my ballot, into a locked box that would need a small nuclear device to breach and which is placed in a well lit area with cameras.
Nothing in the debates will change my vote. I will listen, but nothing will change my mind.
This one is for real.
I will use a mail-in ballot form, but I will personally hand deliver it to the county offices in order to be certain my ballot is received before November 3.
I don’t think I should be voting in-person or via snail mail. I can buy a car over the internet, but somehow I can’t vote that way? Makes no sense to me...
I really like voting in person. I went to vote in the primary, and it seemed very safe with hand sanitizer, masks, social distancing and, best of all, free pens! So I still plan to vote in person in November. A friend of mine thinks we should vote early absentee, as she is worried the current president will shut down in-person voting citing COVID concerns once it’s too late for absentee, but only if he thinks he won’t get reelected, of course. Although I don’t think that is 100% unlikely, I don’t know how he’d know whether or not it would be to his advantage (because voting is still anonymous right? Right?), so I’ll wait and take my chances.
It’s going to be wild ... I think voting by mail has the potential to be ripe with fraud. I also think it’s very ironic that you don’t have to show any ID to vote or have any training to be a parent, but those two things are so important and yet everything else is so highly regulated you need licenses to basically walk down the street.
The Presidential debates will be a ridiculous waste of time. Trump does not know how to be civil and Biden will probably lose his cool. In any event the debates between these two will have no impact on my vote.
Plan to vote in person via my state’s early voting option.
You should ask how many people think the election will be over on November 3. I worry that we are in for a long battle in the courts to determine the next president. This will cause great harm to our institutions and folks on both sides of the aisle.
Will be glad when the election is over. So tired of all of the rhetoric and negativity.
This is the vote of a lifetime.
Thanks to everyone who participated in our weekly NAPA-Net Reader Poll!
