Given the unforeseen events of 2020 and its impact on the world around us, this year’s election will hold higher consequences than normal, and every voter is concerned for its outcome. Considering the Covid-19 pandemic many citizens who fear contracting and or spreading the virus are looking at mail-in voting as an option, and not everyone finds this answer promising. Donald Trump has made multiple claims on the corruptibility of mail in ballots, he is quoted, “I think a lot of people cheat with mail-in voting… mail in voting is a terrible thing.” Mail in voting has been advocated for most notably by democratic voices however this concern is not republican or democrat, it lies with the individual. Former conservative republican chairman Michael Steele argues that “democracy depends on it [absentee voting]” and encourages conservatives to get in on the mail in ballot. Anybody who lives in a state still recovering or currently in the heat of the Coronavirus pandemic who does not feel safe voting in a public space should consider mail-in ballots or other absentee voting options. This upcoming election is too remarkable for eligible voters not to cast their votes and demand their voices be heard.
Since When?
Mail-in voting and other forms of absentee ballots have been around since the Civil War. Union soldiers were allowed to vote by mail from their fields as well as those in Confederate areas occupied by the Union. While the Civil War is where absentee voting made its debut it was not accessible by most of the general public until the 1980’s.
Concerns of Voter Fraud
General voting fraud is incredibly rare, though even scholars admit that the fraudulent rate of mail in ballots are slightly higher. However, it is only by a minuscule margin. Five states (Hawai’i, Colorado, Utah, Oregon, and Washington) have actually had mail in ballots as the primary voting method for years and among them, there has not been a single fraud controversy since the 1980’s. The New York Times editorial board remarks, “states that use vote-by-mail have encountered essentially no fraud: Oregon, the pioneer in this area, has sent out more than 100 million mail-in ballots since 2000, and has documented only about a dozen cases of proven fraud.” An investigative journalist analysis also found that between all the cases of proven voter fraud between 2000 and 2012 only 491 were through absentee ballots, a minuscule number in comparison to how many votes were cast during this period. In addition, voter fraud, even by mail, is difficult to pull off and of little reward- a single vote.
Preventing Voter Fraud
HBO’s John Oliver dissects and deflects Tucker Carlson and Jeanine Pirro of Fox News and their commentary on how simple they claim voter fraud through mail in ballots is and its danger to the upcoming election. Pirro sets the stage, “think about the voter registration records in states that have not been purged, by that I mean dead people have not been removed. You can request an absentee ballot in that name, have it mailed to a different address saying you moved, but you know the person is dead, and then say you’re back at the old address and go and vote.” Oliver argues, “While that might sound plausible at first, just think how many steps you’d have to take to successfully make that happen. First, you have to know a dead person […] Then, you have to know that they were registered to vote when they were alive… fill out a form to request an absentee ballot email to your address instead of theirs. Now to do that, you’d have to redo their entire voter registration which will require you to know personal information like their address, date of birth, the last four digits of their social security number, and possibly their driver’s license number and date when it was issued…” Oliver continues, “Let’s say that you do all of this and you get their ballot in the mail. You might also have to know what the dead person’s signature looked like to convincingly forge it because it could be compared to their signature already on file. And you would better hope that that notification of their death never reaches the elections office through any of the routes that it could as despite what ‘Justice Jeanine’ would have you believe, voter rolls go through periodic list maintenance including cross-checking social security death records.” Oliver goes on, “And having done all of this, and remember, told authorities where you live, if you’re caught you’re risking several felonies which in many states involve prison time all to gain the grand total of one vote. It is a crime that is difficult, high risk, and low reward.”
In addition, Brennan Center for Justice has its own list of accommodations that have been made to increase the security of mail-in ballots such as Identity verification, bar codes, ballot tracking through U.S postal service, secure drop-off locations and drop-boxes, harsh penalties, and more.
So… Is it Dangerous?
Historically, mail-in ballots have posed no threat to influencing polls through fraudulence. They have been useful to many American voters and present themselves as a fitting solution to holding the 2020 election as scheduled. But that was historically, what obstacles may mail-in ballots face this November? Firstly, the United States postal service is currently being pushed towards privatization. In short, if the USPS is privatized or close enough to privatization by November this may cut off mail routes in rural areas and or increase the price of shipping said ballot. Additionally, with so much concern for the legitimacy of mail-in ballots they may be over-filtered. Some voters are concerned that they may be denied their ballots by being falsely accused of voter fraud. There are also deadlines to be met. In Ohio, thousands of ballots were already denied last month for being submitted too late, four months before the November election. Anyone who votes by mail is recommended to submit their ballot two weeks before election day to allow time for delivery and counting. Absentee voters for the 2020 election must mail their ballots by October 20th, 2020 or sooner, especially considering there will most likely be far more mail-in ballots than before to count and verify. There are several moving pieces to navigate, analyze, and take into account when considering the security of absentee ballots.
To conclude, if it is safe to do so, vote in-person at a traditional booth. Though it is important to note when making this decision that most of those employed at such booths are usually retired elders who would be more susceptible to the virus, and entire communities may commune at one of these booths throughout the day. Anyone living in a state or city in which Covid-19 is still a fearsome threat to public health or who worries it may return by November would be wise to request a mail-in ballot, though be mindful and considerate to deadlines! This year’s election is more high stakes than most and the people have every right to be heard by any and all means necessary.
Works Cited
Voting by Mail: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
NPR: Thousands of Mail-Voting Ballots Rejected For Tardiness
Brennan Center For Justice: The False Narrative of Vote-By-Mail Fraud
MIT Election Data + Science Lab: Voting by Mail and Absentee Voting
Column: The Postal Service is America’s Most Popular Government Agency. Why Does Trump Hate it?
Vote.org: Absentee Ballot Deadlines
The Washington Times: Conservatives Need to Get Behind Vote-By-Mail Options in 2020 Election
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/24/conservatives-must-get-behind-vote-by-mail-options/
(credit for image of Michael Steele)
(credit for image of girls in masks)
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