Even though polls are open as late as 9 p.m., it's still not easy squeezing in voting when you've got a busy job and young children. Here's how some savvy and civic-minded working moms, often with childcare assists and job flexibility, cast ballots without totally destroying their weeknight routine.
Some are early birds:
"I always try to do important things in the morning because inevitably something happens that makes getting that thing done after work more difficult than it should be. I either bring my daughter with me or drop her off first and then go before I start work."
—Alyssa Loring Tirella, Boston, marketer
"I used to vote before work to get it out of the way and just arrive a little late, a luxury not afforded to hourly workers, who are more on the clock than I was when my child was young. On the other hand, the lines in the a.m. are shorter."
—Linda Rodgers, Poughkeepsie, NY, writer/editor
"I drop the kids off and get to work a little late."
—Lauren Brotz, Merrick, NY, executive legal assistant
Others are night owls:
"I bring the kid after work. I want her to grow up watching democracy in action and believing that voting is something you need to do, not an optional activity you can skip."
—Andrea Glazer, Queens, NY, associate director of digital marketing
"We took our toddler after work."
—Daniela Egan, Boston, director, major reunion and affinity giving
"My kid comes with! He now thinks all schools are polling places. He says that’s where we vote whenever we pass one!"
—Amber Lewis, Brooklyn, NY, attorney
Some do it in the middle of the day:
"We both try to vote during lunch or on a break from work, so we don’t have to struggle to fill out the ballot with a fidgety toddler!"
—Jaime Groth Searle, Chicago, associate creative director
"I work from home and never take a lunch break, so I feel no guilt in leaving for one to vote!"
—Lindsay Ferraro Bennett, Bethesda, MD, public relations consultant
Others let the voting come to them:
"I always want to make sure I vote, so I automatically receive absentee ballots every year. This way, I don’t have to remember to sign up or to find a babysitter."
—Nicole Beniamini, Hillsborough, NJ, research vice president
Others can go whenever they please:
"My workplace permits two hours off without needing to request it to allow employees to go vote."
—Valerie Glassman, Durham, NC, assistant dean
And for others, it takes a village:
"My daughter's grandparents and I all go together, so one of us stands by the juice and cookies with her while the other two vote, and then we swap out."
—Wesley Anne, Sycamore, IL, EMT
But no matter when you decide to do it, just make sure it happens.