2020 is the year that keeps on giving, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Well, that escalated quickly.

Good afternoon. 

It was only yesterday that the current issue of Monterey County Weekly hit the streets, with a prediction by freelance contributor David Schmalz in the introduction to his cover story: “One of the lessons of 2020, it seems, is that as chaotic as things may seem at the moment, they can always get more so, and that in this year, they probably will.”

As this issue was going to print, we watched the most bizarre presidential debate in history. And then last night, we learned that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for Covid-19. Talk about chaotic. 

In this year of perpetual chaos, some things still feel at least sort of normal. One of them is that my ballot arrived in today’s mail. The not-normal part is that it’s early—given the unprecedented demand for vote-by-mail in this pandemic year, Monterey County Elections officials are ahead of schedule. 

And they are doing a lot to make sure your ballot is counted and secured. The cover story provides behind-the-scenes on how ballots are handled and processed, in ways that should bolster your confidence. For instance, two elections workers, each with a different key for a different lock, are required to be present to pick up ballots from drop boxes. 

One unfortunate reason your confidence might need to be bolstered is that our very own president of the United States has done his best to sow doubt about the integrity of American elections. It’s a tide that government workers must fight against, and it undoubtedly makes their jobs harder. 

But the real way we show the system has integrity and that it works is to participate. So vote, and tell a friend or neighbor to vote too. 

If you have questions about how to cast your ballot—all registered voters in California have a choice this year to vote by mail or in person—check out the guide at the bottom of this story. (If you are looking for the Weekly’s recommendations on who to vote for, our editorial board’s endorsements for the 2020 elections will be published on Oct. 8.)

And happy voting. 

-Sara Rubin, editor, sara@mcweekly.com