I just received this email from the County:

Dear DAVID C GRUBB,
Your ballot has been received by MONTGOMERY County on 06/03/2020.
Your ballot status has been updated to reflect your official ballot has been received timely and recorded.

Please note: You are no longer permitted to vote at your polling place location now that you have returned your ballot timely.
If you have questions about your ballot, please contact MONTGOMERY County at (610) 278-3280.
Thank you

This was the first time that everyone had the option of a mail in ballot. Prior to this, it was only absentee ballots and you had to qualify with good cause. This election I had the option of mailing it in or taking it to one of a number of drop points around the country. I chose the latter.

The drop option required that I could only present my ballot and I was required to drop the ballot in a rather formidable drop "cart" . The attendant was not allowed to touch the ballot.

The County had done a commendable job in managing these ballots. The County had an agreement of service with the USPS for the delivery of the ballots. The USPS did not live up to that agreement and the time to deliver got drawn out. The County sent at least 3 emails during that period advising me of what was happening. This has all been serious to this point---now for those who see villians behind every tree----a little levity follows.

The extreme security around this, including a pre-application interview and challenge conducted at the Court House between 1 AM and 3:30 AM on a Sunday night. I then had to return, again at the same convenient hours to have my County ID number tattooed on my wrist ---which was also printed on my ballot envelope. I felt a little like I was in the hospital, the attendant made sure my numbers matched up. When the mailman finally did deliver the ballot I was required to go out to the end of the lane---with my tattoo and seven articles of photo ID before he could hand it to me! This will be the end of our democracy-----NOT