'The most important vote': 94-year-old traveled more than 300 miles each way so she could vote

Hi. Yeah, we want to clear this up for you once and for all. So let's get going. What is the difference between an absentee ballot and a mail in ballot? Is one safer than the other? Lots of controversy. Here, let me walk you through this nice and easy. It's the way I like getting my information to first. It's important to understand this is nothing new. In fact, it's been around for over a century. Soldiers in the Civil War cast their vote back in 18 64. That's when Abraham Lincoln was re elected president in 2012. Look at this. 29.6 million people voted by mail in some form in 2016 the last presidential election. Look, that number jumped up to 33.6 million people. So yeah, it's been around. So the big question What is the difference between absentee ballots and mail in voting? Is one safer than the other? Let's go. Do you see this? This right here we are. It's an absentee ballot. If you can't make it to a polling location, you fill out an application with your excuse like you're deployed. The military or you have an illness forcing you to be home bound. But now most states are saying the Corona viruses a good enough reason. I just don't feel safe going good enough, and your state sends you an absentee ballot to cast your vote and mail it in. President Trump says. All good. He's all for absentee voting, and in fact, he's voted himself that way. But now the mail in voting. This is what the president has been complaining about. So what is mail in voting and what is the difference between that and absentee? Let me make a copy of the absentee ballot. We have the absentee ballot right here. Boom magic of TV. Make a copy. Bring it over here. So you see this? That's a ballot for mail in voting. This is an absentee ballot. There's no difference. It's the same thing. And that's not a political statement. There is no real difference. That's fact. It's the same ballot, how you send it in. Also the same this way. Brooke. That's my sound effect, and that's a mailbox. They both go in through the U. S. Postal Service, absentee and mail. In the Onley difference is how you get your ballot. All states allow some type of mail in voting. That's not a Republican thing. Or a Democratic thing is just a election thing this year. Some are making it easier. So where do you need to request an application for an absentee about? Let me hap out of the way here. I'm gonna come this way and show you all of those states. I'm gonna give you a second to find your own state. This is where you need to request an application. Now, let me hop back in. Change the map up, coming out of the way again. Show you the states where registered voters automatically get an application for a ballot. So basically, you forgot to request one. But you're a registered voter. You'll get the application. Hi, I'm back. Now, I want to give you another bucket of states. These states air saying if you're a registered voter, we know it's a crazy year. Will mail registered voters ballots automatically? No application, no eligibility requirement at all. You get a ballot in your hands and get in the way. Show you those states. These are those states. Take a look to see where you live, okay? Don't worry, it's all on Rossen reports dot com. We'll get to that, but I want to point this out, and this is important. You have to be a registered voter in all of these scenarios, no matter what. My 10 year old daughter isn't getting a ballot in the mail because she's a U. S citizen. It's not like balance for everyone. You already have to be a registered voter, so that's literally it. Mail in voting, absentee voting all done the same way. Either way, the U. S mail has to deliver your ballot. Either way, you have to be a registered voter. The ballot sold good of the same place and remember an absentee ballot and the mail in ballot. It's the same ballot number. Same ballot, no difference. I know it's a lot. There are a lot of states with all these differences and how they're doing things. We got you covered. No matter where you live, head over to Rawson reports dot com. We have put together a really easy state by state breakdown and a really cool interactive map, and we also have info on how you can request a ballot right now. I hope it helps back to you

Video above: What’s the difference between absentee ballots and mail-in ballots?When a Michigan 94-year-old didn't receive her absentee ballot, she took her civic duty to the next level.Mildred Madison insisted that she had to vote early and in person instead, but to make that happen, her son had to drive her more than 600 miles round trip.Madison, who lives in Detroit, has been staying with her son, Julian, in Zion, Illinois, since September 2019, when she wasn't feeling well. She decided to stay put when the pandemic happened, and requested a ballot be sent to Illinois, she said."I said I had better go back to Detroit and make sure that I vote," Madison told CNN Monday. "I'm glad I did because I haven't seen a ballot yet."CNN reached out to the Detroit Department of Elections for comment but has not heard back.More than 28 million general election ballots have been cast as of Monday, according to a survey of election officials by CNN, Edison Research, and Catalist. In Michigan, more than 1.3 million people have already cast their votes as of Monday, according to Catalist data.While there's still a chance the ballot may come in the mail -- and Madison said the voting office said they had sent the ballot -- she didn't want to take any chances.The mother-son duo set off for Detroit around 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 12 and made it to Detroit's City Hall just before noon, she said. The drive was about 330 miles each way -- and they did it all in one day.Donning a black mask with the word "vote" on it, Madison arrived ready to vote. Her son pushed her in a wheelchair to get her to the voting line."At least I made it," Madison said with a laugh. "I made it and voted for the people I wanted to vote for, and I hope they win. But I felt satisfied that I was not going to miss voting."Not missing a vote is a big deal to Madison."I've been voting in every election, whether it was city, state, county or national for the last 72 years," she said.Julian Madison said he knew driving to Detroit was a possibility when the ballot didn't arrive in the mail."I have four kids, they all vote. All of my mother's grandchildren vote," he said. "That was something that was engrained in all of us and to be politically active and to vote."Julian Madison said his mother taught him to respect women and vote."I definitely try to do both," he said. "I think it's important to do that."Mildred Madison has been active in her community, education and politics since her children began school in the 1950s in Cleveland, she said.She got her start in the PTA. At one of the meetings, she met a mother who said they were going to start a League of Women Voters unit in their area "because they don't have that many black women in this league," Madison said.Madison became the chair of the league's education committee and later served on the League of Women Voters of Detroit, too. She went on to run for office many times, winning seats on the Cleveland Board of Education, the Ohio Board of Education and the Cleveland City Council.When she became the first black president of the League of Women Voters in Cleveland, she worked to bring the final presidential debate between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter to the city."I was able to bring that debate to Cleveland in 1980. That was a great experience to be able to have big hands in the debate," Madison said.Madison has a long history in activism and politics, and she's still at it, even in her 90s.The nonagenarian is working on her memoir and she hopes to one day open the Mildred Madison Center for Civic Engagement to teach young people the value of voting and being active in the community.And this election is a big one -- words that carry a lot from someone who has been voting for 72 years."I think this is the most important vote that we've ever had," Madison said."We must vote. I agree with Michelle Obama when she said go early, stand in line if you have to, take your lunch, your breakfast or lunch or whatever, do that. But make sure that you vote."It's not just the presidential election that Madison wants people to worry about. She wants people, young and old, to vote in every election."You just start at 18 and keep on going to until the very end and try to vote in every election. They all count," Madison said."It's not just for the president but start voting locally, statewide, county wide and also on the federal level. They all count because the power really starts right there in your community."

DETROIT —

Video above: What’s the difference between absentee ballots and mail-in ballots?

When a Michigan 94-year-old didn't receive her absentee ballot, she took her civic duty to the next level.

Mildred Madison insisted that she had to vote early and in person instead, but to make that happen, her son had to drive her more than 600 miles round trip.

Madison, who lives in Detroit, has been staying with her son, Julian, in Zion, Illinois, since September 2019, when she wasn't feeling well. She decided to stay put when the pandemic happened, and requested a ballot be sent to Illinois, she said.

"I said I had better go back to Detroit and make sure that I vote," Madison told CNN Monday. "I'm glad I did because I haven't seen a ballot yet."

CNN reached out to the Detroit Department of Elections for comment but has not heard back.

More than 28 million general election ballots have been cast as of Monday, according to a survey of election officials by CNN, Edison Research, and Catalist. In Michigan, more than 1.3 million people have already cast their votes as of Monday, according to Catalist data.

While there's still a chance the ballot may come in the mail -- and Madison said the voting office said they had sent the ballot -- she didn't want to take any chances.

The mother-son duo set off for Detroit around 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 12 and made it to Detroit's City Hall just before noon, she said. The drive was about 330 miles each way -- and they did it all in one day.

Donning a black mask with the word "vote" on it, Madison arrived ready to vote. Her son pushed her in a wheelchair to get her to the voting line.

"At least I made it," Madison said with a laugh. "I made it and voted for the people I wanted to vote for, and I hope they win. But I felt satisfied that I was not going to miss voting."

Not missing a vote is a big deal to Madison.

"I've been voting in every election, whether it was city, state, county or national for the last 72 years," she said.

Julian Madison said he knew driving to Detroit was a possibility when the ballot didn't arrive in the mail.

"I have four kids, they all vote. All of my mother's grandchildren vote," he said. "That was something that was engrained in all of us and to be politically active and to vote."

Julian Madison said his mother taught him to respect women and vote.

"I definitely try to do both," he said. "I think it's important to do that."

Mildred Madison has been active in her community, education and politics since her children began school in the 1950s in Cleveland, she said.

She got her start in the PTA. At one of the meetings, she met a mother who said they were going to start a League of Women Voters unit in their area "because they don't have that many black women in this league," Madison said.

Madison became the chair of the league's education committee and later served on the League of Women Voters of Detroit, too. She went on to run for office many times, winning seats on the Cleveland Board of Education, the Ohio Board of Education and the Cleveland City Council.

When she became the first black president of the League of Women Voters in Cleveland, she worked to bring the final presidential debate between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter to the city.

"I was able to bring that debate to Cleveland in 1980. That was a great experience to be able to have big hands in the debate," Madison said.

Madison has a long history in activism and politics, and she's still at it, even in her 90s.

The nonagenarian is working on her memoir and she hopes to one day open the Mildred Madison Center for Civic Engagement to teach young people the value of voting and being active in the community.

And this election is a big one -- words that carry a lot from someone who has been voting for 72 years.

"I think this is the most important vote that we've ever had," Madison said.

"We must vote. I agree with Michelle Obama when she said go early, stand in line if you have to, take your lunch, your breakfast or lunch or whatever, do that. But make sure that you vote."

It's not just the presidential election that Madison wants people to worry about. She wants people, young and old, to vote in every election.

"You just start at 18 and keep on going to until the very end and try to vote in every election. They all count," Madison said.

"It's not just for the president but start voting locally, statewide, county wide and also on the federal level. They all count because the power really starts right there in your community."

��vlog