I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s an election coming up. A rather important one, you might say. Possibly the most important election of our lifetime, which makes it perfect that mail-in and in-person voting are expected to be a complete shit show.
It doesn’t matter how much of a shit show it is though, you have to vote. You’ve just absolutely got to vote. I know you have a job and children and virtual learning and all the other nonsense a pandemic brings, but if it’s at all humanly possible, you also have to vote—which means that if you’re voting in person this year, now is the time to start thinking about lining up your childcare.
It won’t be as easy as stopping at the polls before you begin your morning commute, or popping by on your lunch break. This year, you’ll need to plan ahead. You’ll need to talk to your boss ahead of time about how to make it work. You’ll need to plan for long, long lines (bring water and snacks to prevent the hangries). And, if you’re a parent of young children, you’ll need to line up reliable childcare. Here are a few suggestions as you plan ahead.
Create a “voting pod”
You want to vote, you want your partner to vote, and you want the parents of all your kids’ friends to vote. If you’ve already got a learning or playgroup pod formed, check in with the other parents to see if you can get that pod together on Election Day. Even if you don’t have such a pod, you may have a small circle of friends you’ve continued to see to some degree this year, and those friends may also benefit from a “voting pod.” Choose a “home base” where one or two parents stay to supervise while they others go to vote, then swap so everyone gets a turn.
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Research Election Day childcare options in your area
Some facilities or organizations in your area may be offering free short-term childcare on Election Day. In particular, some daycare centers, schools, and local YMCAs are setting up programs to help care for kids while their parents vote.
For example, Care.com and the Armed Services YMCA have partnered to offer free childcare at 27 locations across the country. You can go here to see if there is a location near you and, if so, sign up for a free four-hour spot. But even if your YMCA isn’t on this list, call them directly to ask if they’re offering something similar—many are.
Ask a loved one
We all have different thresholds of risk we are willing to take during this pandemic, as well as how much contact we’re comfortable having with loved ones—particularly elderly relatives—lest we put them at risk. But we’re not talking about dropping the kids off with grandma and grandpa so you can have a date night out. We’re talking about the election, which we’ve already agreed is Very Freakin’ Important.
I’m not saying to be reckless in who you ask, or the parameters you set—high risk is still high risk, vital election or not—but this is a moment to ask for help. If you’ve got someone in your life who can (as safely as possible) watch your kids while you vote, now is the time to ask.
If you don’t need childcare
Maybe you’re not parenting children through a pandemic; or maybe your kids are old enough to chill at home while you hit the polls. Or maybe they’re actually in a classroom on Election Day. If you are free and clear to vote, or you already voted by mail, check in on the those you are close with who might be more tied down. Offer to come over, mask on, and host a relay race with their kids in the backyard while they do their civic duty.
We’ve all been short on a “village” this year, but this is one day when parents of young children who are at home don’t just want to escape, they need to escape. Offering to babysit your nieces and nephews, your neighbor’s kids, or your best friend’s kids is a great way to help right now.
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