Back in the day, I once logged into a PC room to sign up for a gaming tournament just one minute before the deadline, and the server crashed, so I couldn't submit my entry. Since then, I've made it a habit to mark deadlines on my calendar.

Recently, a new date has been added to that calendar. October 24, the start date for early voting in New York.

This year's general election day in New York is Tuesday, November 3. Early voting will be open for nine days, from Saturday, October 24, to Sunday, November 1.

On election day, polling places will be open from 6 AM to 9 PM. However, thinking about taking the 7 train home from work on Tuesday and waiting in line, I honestly find early voting much more appealing.

This ballot will include the New York gubernatorial election. Additionally, local elections for the federal House of Representatives, state Senate, and state Assembly will be included based on your address.

Even within Flushing, crossing one street can change your district. Therefore, the most accurate way to find out what will be on your ballot is to check directly with your address.

Now, let's get to the main point: the checklist. Just like reviewing a checklist before deployment in development, we can go through this one step by step.

The first step is to check your registration status. By entering your name, date of birth, and address at amiregistered.vote.nyc, you can immediately see if you are registered to vote.

If you haven't registered yet, the deadline is October 24. If you're submitting by mail, your application must arrive at the Board of Elections by that day.

Interestingly, the registration deadline and the first day of early voting are the same. So, you can register and vote on that day.

The second step is to find your early voting site. In New York City, early voting sites are designated for each individual, so you can't just go to any nearby location.

By entering your address at findmypollsite.vote.nyc, you will get separate results for your early voting site and your election day polling place. Since these can often be different, be sure to check both.

This can be a bit tricky. Just because your local school is an election day polling place doesn't mean early voting is held there, so you might end up making a wasted trip.

It's convenient to save the results as a screenshot. This way, you won't have to wave your phone around trying to get Wi-Fi in front of the polling place.

The third step is to check the operating hours. Early voting hours vary by county and by day of the week.

Since I can't confirm the exact schedule for Queens in this article, I recommend checking vote.nyc for the hours again before you go. It's better to refresh once than to trust outdated information.

The fourth step is about identification. Registered voters generally do not need to show ID at the polling place.

The exception is if you did not provide verification information, such as your driver's license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number when you registered. In this case, you may be asked for ID, so it's a good idea to bring it if it's your first time voting.

Even if verification isn't possible, you don't need to go home. You can use an affidavit ballot, and the Board of Elections will verify your eligibility before counting it.

The fifth step is assistance in Korean. The New York City Board of Elections provides language support, including Korean, in the Queens area.

However, it is noted that interpretation support is not available at all polling places. If you're bringing your parents, it's a good idea to check in advance.

You can also receive Korean language assistance through the 1-888-API-VOTE hotline operated by an Asian voter organization.

The sixth step is mail-in voting. The deadline to apply online or by mail is October 24, and if you apply in person, you have until November 2.

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by election day or submitted in person, and those sent by mail must arrive by November 10 to be counted. Since postal schedules can be unpredictable, I would recommend sending it out well in advance.

As a note, you can now apply for mail-in voting without needing a specific reason. If you often have to travel for work or work late, this could be a more efficient option for you.

To summarize, the order is as follows: check your registration, find your designated polling place, check the hours, and bring ID if necessary.

Whoever you choose to vote for is up to each individual. I tend to compare the promises of both sides directly, so I'm planning to preview the ballot beforehand.

However, I believe skipping voting is similar to continuously postponing update notifications. If you keep putting it off, your environment will eventually change to a version you don't want.

I'm planning to go early voting on the first weekend. If the line is short, I've set up a reward routine to grab a plate of dumplings nearby afterward.

Mark October 24 on your calendar. This time, there won't be any server crashes. All that's left is for us to show up.