Vote by Mail Legislation Advances

Re: "The next logical step" (4.00 / 1)

I think, in general, they don't want to unnecessarily mail ballots to prevent voter fraud. (Look, for example, as the recent allegations in the Texas primary). If you request a ballot, you're more likely to notice if it doesn't arrive, and they're more likely able to do something about it in case someone actually does mail in a ballot under your name.

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by: dennisl @ Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 22:53:53 PM UTC

big difference (0.00 / 0)

If the ballot is mailed directly to YOUR house, it is rather difficult for someone to then mail one in "for" you.

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by: Creed Pogue @ Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 23:38:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

And if you counted... (0.00 / 0)

...the number of addresses--or even states--I've lived in since I became eligible to vote, you'd be dealing with a LOT of ballots arriving at the wrong place.

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask that a person who wants to vote has to made a minimal amount of effort. You can make requesting a ballot as easy as possible; call a number, fill out an online form, keep paper forms at the post office or something. But still, I think a person shouldn't be completely passive about it.

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by: dennisl @ Fri Mar 07, 2008 at 00:06:13 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

better step (0.00 / 0)

School board, primary, municipal non-partisan, fire district and school bond referenda should all be vote by mail elections.  It would cost less and increase turnout.

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by: Creed Pogue @ Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 22:55:24 PM UTC

wait a minute! (0.00 / 0)

We already have this--it's called an absentee ballot.  We don't have to give a reason and we can sign up any time.  

A big problem with making it permanent is that so many people move every year.  Joe and I are always astonished at how out-of-date even the most recent voter lists are.  Something like this could open up wide opportunities for fraud.

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."  (Teddy Roosevelt)

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by: DottieG @ Fri Mar 07, 2008 at 03:08:05 AM UTC

That is why you can use the USPS National Change of Address system (0.00 / 0)

When you cross-reference voter registration lists with NCOA, the lists are cleaned up.

I am talking about decreasing the costs of low turnout elections and increasing the turnout.

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by: Creed Pogue @ Fri Mar 07, 2008 at 05:03:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Alas, too many people don't bother... n/t (0.00 / 0)

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."  (Teddy Roosevelt)

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by: DottieG @ Fri Mar 07, 2008 at 06:38:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Requesting ballots (0.00 / 0)

I agree with Dennis and Dottie that the sending of ballots should not be automatic.  Even with our new high-tech SVRS, enough errors will creep in to create a substantial risk of some fraud.  (As as we've seen from elections at the local to federal levels, sometimes the margin of victory is smaller than the margin of error -- or of potential fraud.)  It's easy, if unfortunate, to picture a homeowner voting his own ballot and the one of a previous owner, or the manager of a retirement facility voting the ballots of multiple recently-deceased residents.

What we need to do is make requesting an absentee ballot really easy.  We should be able to do it on the Internet or by telephone as well as by mail, and the law should require public notice that ballots are available, how to get them, and what the deadline is.

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by: John Bartlett @ Fri Mar 07, 2008 at 17:00:17 PM UTC

illogical (0.00 / 0)

There is a "substantial risk" of fraud with sending everyone a ballot after cleaning the voter registration list with the Postal Service, but no risk of fraud with allowing you to request an absentee ballot by telephone???

Also, there is already a public notice required for each election that details how to get an absentee ballot.

If we start with the low-turnout elections, then you get the bugs (whatever you think there may be) worked out while decreasing costs and increasing turnout.

I would also remind everyone that Oregon is already handling its elections with VBM, but since there is no crime in Oregon (especially fraud) and no one dies or moves, I guess it is a bad example.  

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by: Creed Pogue @ Fri Mar 07, 2008 at 17:10:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm moving to Oregon n/t. (0.00 / 0)

"Where ever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonzai

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by: William Weber (WjcW) @ Fri Mar 07, 2008 at 18:03:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm not opposing vote-by-mail... (0.00 / 0)

... in fact, I support it for a host of reasons, including cost savings, accessibility for people with disabilities, and the fact that it results in a 100% voter-generated "paper trail."

However, the idea of automatic mailing raises concerns for me about the potential use or misuse of the thousands of "loose ballots" that will be in circulation due to misdirected mail, voters who moved or are deceased, etc.

As Project Vote notes, VBM also creates a risk to the suffrage of these folks who have moved:

Project Vote is especially concerned about the effects of mobility among people of lower income levels. Twenty-one percent of households with incomes under $25,000 have moved in the past year, compared to 12 percent of households with incomes greater than $100,000. Almost one in three renters moved, compared to one in 11 homeowners.

Other plausible scenarios include an adult child may move in with a parent, a woman in the process of divorce may move into a friend's home or an elderly adult may move in with an adult child. These individuals are eligible to vote if they have resided at their new address for even a short period of time, but the mail carrier may simply return a mail ballot if the primary resident hasn't notified the mail carrier of the new occupant.

This situation came into play during the 2006 election in Baltimore, Maryland. Election officials announced intentions to cancel 2,300 new registrations because voter registration cards were returned as undeliverable. Officials concluded that returned cards indicated that applicants had failed to complete their applications accurately. Project Vote staff investigated and, through interviews with mail carriers, learned that the non-forwardable mail that the board of elections used could not be left at an address where the addressee was not known or listed as a resident. Further investigation confirmed that applicants lived at the addresses they provided to election officials.

Source.  Some of those issues can be addressed by appropriate safeguards, but all of them are addressed when there is direct contact between voter and election official prior to election day -- such as would occur if mail ballots had to be requested.

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by: John Bartlett @ Fri Mar 07, 2008 at 18:41:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's why you do the elections that already have low turnout first. (0.00 / 0)

Get the "kinks" out.

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by: Creed Pogue @ Fri Mar 07, 2008 at 20:06:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]