We have a 500 hour window to vote instead of a 12 hour window –
Reduces or eliminates weather problems –
Ballots are transported not by volunteers or temps, but by federal employees trained in security — postal workers
Ballot transportation security is protected by federal law
There are never any large numbers of ballots in one place (e.g. ballot boxes) except in the secure counting facility, so ballots can’t “go missing.”
No armed racist “poll watchers” at polling places
No worries about police looking for people with outstanding warrants
No worries about false messaging about polling places or election days
Bomb threats can’t shut down voting
Epidemics such as coronavirus can’t be used as a pretext to shut down elections
Recountable, by hand if necessary
No election-day credential challenges
Visit the website to see if your ballot was counted, if it wasn’t, you can re-vote – or sign up for email notifications
If you didn’t get a ballot, same story, 3 weeks to correct the problem
No crappy voting machines in poor or POC precincts
No misaligned paper in machines – no machines!
If you vote early, the campaigns stop calling you and sending you junk mail
People talk about the civic nostalgia of gathering at a physical polling place, but that’s pretty much a white privilege thing (cf. intimidation and taking time off work)
No “illegal immigrants” voting — this isn’t a problem anyway, but it calls the bluff of people who say it is.
Machines that print out a paper ballot can be hacked to print something different than what they actually record. That’s not the same as a paper ballot.
It stymies polling and forces the media to wait until the election is over to get the results. Which is what elections are for.
– take your time to vote with voter’s pamphlet in hand
– if you’re a procrastinator, there are drop off boxes
– low stress due to all of the above
– introverts can stay home
– lower cost
– high participation (some don’t think that’s an advantage)
Thank you ! I really need this because I live in WA state and I love voting by mail. Came from TX where every visit to the polls was an exercise in anxiety.
–If you don’t trust the mail part, you can drop it off, either at a secure drop box or at the election headquarters for your county.
–It’s been said before, but it can’t be said enough: YOUR VOTE IS AN ACTUAL, PHYSICAL DOCUMENT that can’t be hacked and can be recounted if there are questions.
–I took my students to tour the county election office the same day of a very minor election in one of the cities. We got to see the process in action, which was fascinating.
–For places with a robust initiative system, it is a godsend to be able to make your decision and vote with plenty of time and space to spread out your information.
Washington state has mail-in and drop-off ballots ONLY. I also lived in Arizona where we had a choice of either mail-in or machine voting. There were no issues with mail-in voting in either state and voting costs are reduced!
Opposing mail-in ballots is a form of voter suppression and supported by the voting machine producers!
– take your time to vote with voter’s pamphlet in hand
– if you’re a procrastinator, there are drop off boxes
– low stress due to all of the above
– introverts can stay home
– lower cost
– high participation (some don’t think that’s an advantage)
Thank you ! I really need this because I live in WA state and I love voting by mail. Came from TX where every visit to the polls was an exercise in anxiety.
–If you don’t trust the mail part, you can drop it off, either at a secure drop box or at the election headquarters for your county.
–It’s been said before, but it can’t be said enough: YOUR VOTE IS AN ACTUAL, PHYSICAL DOCUMENT that can’t be hacked and can be recounted if there are questions.
–I took my students to tour the county election office the same day of a very minor election in one of the cities. We got to see the process in action, which was fascinating.
–For places with a robust initiative system, it is a godsend to be able to make your decision and vote with plenty of time and space to spread out your information.
Washington state has mail-in and drop-off ballots ONLY. I also lived in Arizona where we had a choice of either mail-in or machine voting. There were no issues with mail-in voting in either state and voting costs are reduced!
Opposing mail-in ballots is a form of voter suppression and supported by the voting machine producers!