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It is Time to Consider a Post-Election Coping Plan
The stress is real. Here are some ways to manage it.
For months now, organizations, groups and movements across the country have worked to encourage every eligible American to create and implement a voting plan amid COVID-19 complications. Text messages, mailers pile up on digital and physical surfaces: are you registered? Will you vote by mail? In person? Early? On Election Day?
Smart things to consider, as we tend to manage stress better when we have a plan and we know what to expect.
Once our votes are cast, though . . . then what?
In swing states, like the one in which I am sitting, there are fears about the accuracy of mail-in ballots, ballot tampering, voter fraud, polling place intimidation, as well as unreasonably long waits and limited access to polling places on Election Day. Some of this is due to a consistent stream of misinformation and belligerence posted to social media by the former reality television host who lives in the White House. There are questions about whether the election results will be accepted or disputed. There are concerns about safety in the days that follow, as a variety of sources warn about the possibilities of destruction and violence post-election.
