What Norwood voters need to know in 2020

2020  has no doubt been a difficult year but despite the many issues of this year, one that has risen to the top of everyone's minds is the election. With the Coronavirus still plaguing the United States, the election and the logistics of voting seems muddled, and many, especially newer voters are confused and bewildered.

The town of Norwood is currently offering early voting. It began on Saturday, Oct. 17th, and will go until Friday Oct 30th. Voters will be required to wear a mask in town hall and there will be new safety regulations to ensure that people remain six feet apart. Mail-in ballots can be dropped in one of two ballot boxes outside the town hall from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Traditional, in-person voting will commence on Election Day, Nov. 3.   

Despite a sense of normal voting in both Norwood and beyond, the debate about mail-in voting continues to heat up. 

Mail-in voting has been both criticized and praised across the nation, with many criticizing it for possibly making voter fraud easier. However, many praise mail-in voting for ensuring that people keep social distancing.

 When it comes to expectations on election night, Jeffrey Loja, a History teacher at Norwood High School expresses that “ I don’t think we will see a result on election night and we as Americans have been conditioned to getting the results on that night.” 

This might be a culture shock to new and old voters who expect their candidate to gain victory after such a hard and brutal election. This also contributes to the lack of faith in mail-in voting.

However, many voters, like special education teacher Caitlin Nottebart, believe that mail-in voting poses no threat.  “I think it is definitely going to be different but I have a lot of faith in the mail-in voting system and that there has been a lot of talk of ballots going missing or being tampered with but there is little evidence that backs that,” she said.