Vote by Mail:
Sealed and Delivered
Vote by mail has been a staple of voting in the United States since the 1930’s. It is now time to expand the system. Democrats are pushing to make it law, in every state.
OPINION: Vote By Mail
Sealed and Delivered
By Trevor K. McNeil
Last month several Democratic Senators and Representatives introduced legislation that would require all voters to mail in or drop off paper ballots if 25 percent of states declare a state of emergency because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
New World Order
A lot has changed in recent months. A surprising number of people, who should really know better, have started referring to this as “the new normal.” If there is a glimmer of hope amidst the fear and the death surrounding COVID-19, it is that we humans are a highly adaptive species. The fact that we still exist is testament to our adaptability and resourcefulness. The coronavirus has changed our environment, but that doesn’t mean we need to stop doing what is important, including performing our civil duty by voting.
Changes
“Stay at home, stay safe” orders have changed our lives. One of the biggest changes is a switch towards remote work, app banking, grocery delivery, and home schooling. This is life in the age of social distancing. There are, however, things that are not so simply accounted for as work, shopping, banking or education. These activities have had an established correspondence system for years. One of the major issues that has arisen, in this election year, is how people are supposed to vote when they have to stay at home and self-isolate.
Computers Can’t Solve This One
Online voting has proponents, but many opponents. Most argue it is to easy to hack.
One of the proposed solutions for voting, during COVID-19 is online voting. Online voting has been debated for years. Proponents stress the convenience, mobility and accessibility of an online, or phone voting system, while detractors hype the risks. Opponents most reasonable argument centers on the risk of hacking. Many opponents claim online voting would spell the end of democracy. Of course, these also tend to be the same folks who are suspicious in general, who extol the wonders of the good old days of typewriters and whiteout. Neither the pro or con position is particularly helpful in terms of solving the issue of finding the safest and most efficient voting system.
Middle-Ground
Voting should be as easy as going to your mailbox.
There is a middle ground, however. A way to vote safely and privately without having to go any farther than your mailbox. That is mail-in ballots. The idea might seem like we’re going back in time, and we might as well try to bring back house servants and horse carriages. In some ways that is because it is true. The first instance of wide-spread mail-in voting was in the 1930s.
Living Away From Home
The mail in vote, followed the advent of a bill in 1932 that allowed for absentee voting. The absentee ballot became the first vote by mail system in the United States. The system is still in use. The vote by mail system allows U.S. citizens, such as military personnel, living away from home to still participate in elections. All states allow some form of absentee voting, but the rules on who can take part vary. Mail in voting has proved a significant factor in the election process particularly in presidential elections.
Oldie But A Goodie
There are several advantages to mail-in ballots that might not be immediately apparent. In addition to the obvious advantage of voting from a distance it is still a paper ballot which have proven exceedingly difficult to hack. Which is more than can be said for any of the voting machines or online voting systems tried so far, each of which have had some kind of inherent software weakness.
Vote by Mail
Early voting is usually paired with vote by mail programs.
Mail-in ballots do not have any of these, rather significant, draw backs in terms of security. There is also the matter of privacy. The vote by mail system guarantees a secret ballot. Furthermore, at least in my opinion, this method cuts down significantly on attempts to influence voters in future elections. Those organizations that would seek to influence would likely not know where the voters are, let alone how they have voted. The only general idea of how the election might go would be telephone and online polls. The mail-in ballot system would eliminate the usefulness of doorstep canvassers which, I think most would agree, is a win for all of us.
By The Numbers
Another hidden benefit to a mail-in ballot is that it, depending how it is done, could do away with voter fraud, both in terms of the actual act and the constant accusations of such. Republicans have spent decades claiming wide spread voter fraud. The only confirmed voter fraud and vote tampering cases have been tied to the Republican party, with cases in both North Carolina and Florida.
Three States All In
Three states, Oregon, Washington and Colorado have effectively used vote by mail for decades. Election officials mail ballots directly to registered voters at their home address, with a return envelope. After completing the ballot a voter is required to sign the ballot. The signatures are verified upon their receipt at the election office. Some have suggested a sticker be placed on the back of envelopes. This would work like the wax seals of old and make it immediately apparent as to whether the envelope had been opened or tampered with. Allowing it to be discarded if this is the case, allowing only “good”, untampered ballots to be counted in the final tally.
Conclusion
Michelle Obama is backing legislation to expand voting-by-mail. She and other Democrats are committed to making sure every American can have access to the polls, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The former First Lady said recently, so eloquently, “There is nothing partisan about striving to live up to the promise of our country; making the democracy we all cherish more accessible; and protecting our neighbors, friends and loved ones as they participate in this cornerstone of American life,”
