The shift in partisan control in Congress and in many state legislatures has brought about renewed interest in policies that make voting more accessible or convenient. One policy under consideration is vote-by-mail (VBM). In the U.S. Senate, Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced a bill that creates financial incentives to states shifting to vote-by-mail while in the House Susan Davis, D-Calif., introduced a bill requiring states to offer all residents the option of voting by mail. In the states, there have been at least 32 bills introduced in 18 legislatures that propose to replace traditional polling places with all-mail elections in some or all elections. This July, secretaries of state will find VBM on the agenda as they gather in Portland for their annual summer conference.
Oregon, of course, votes entirely by mail, but VBM elections have also been conducted in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Utah, and Washington. In fact, most counties in Washington now hold elections only by mail.
Supporters of VBM systems point to cost savings, greater counting accuracy, and voter satisfaction. They also believe that VBM will increase overall voter turnout. Some supporters suggest that making voting easier may reduce socio-economic disparities in voter participation. And, in response to critics who suggest VBM elections are vulnerable to fraud, supporters note that Oregon’s VBM elections have been fraud-free.
Based largely on Oregon’s successful experience with VBM, some advocates and policymakers are eager to import all-mail elections to other states and abandon America’s centuries-old practice of polling place voting. We think that might be unwise. Here’s why.
https://www.nonprofitvote.org/documents/20...
Posted By: Steve Williams
Saturday, November 10th 2018 at 7:10PM
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