RIGHT SPEAK: Confidence in Accuracy of U.S. Election Matches Record Low; How to Make Sure Your Mail-In Ballot is Counted and Not Discarded, and related stories on Ballot Issues

Confidence in Accuracy of U.S. Election Matches Record Low:

Fifty-nine percent of Americans say they are "very" (19%) or "somewhat confident" (40%) that votes in the upcoming presidential election will be accurately cast and counted throughout the country, matching the low Gallup recorded in 2008.

The latest figure, collected in Gallup's Sept. 14-28 poll, comes at a time when President Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the validity of voting this year, which will include widespread mail voting amid the coronavirus pandemic. As in 2008, the country is grappling with a global economic crisis, and Americans' satisfaction with the way things are going in the U.S. is near its historical low point.

As would be expected given Trump's view, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (44%) are expressing far less confidence than Democrats and Democratic leaners (74%) in the accuracy of the election. --->READ MORE HERE

How to make sure your mail-in ballot is counted and not discarded:

Hundreds of thousands of ballots are rejected each year. Make sure your vote counts by avoiding these pitfalls

... Hundreds of thousands of ballots are rejected or discarded each election for a number of reasons. More than 550,000 absentee ballots were rejected in this year's presidential primaries, according to an analysis by NPR. Studies show that young first-time voters, and people of color have more ballots rejected than other groups.

Why would ballots be discarded or rejected?

The most common reasons for rejection include signatures not matching and missing deadlines. Some rules may seem silly, or unnecessary, but it is important to abide by them. Read on to learn how to get it right.