Debate Desk
Should Every American Election Be Conducted Entirely by Mail?
Mail voting is convenient and fits some states, but it loosens chain of custody and the secret ballot; choices should stay with the states and voters.
The claim
Supporters say that mailing a ballot to every registered voter raises turnout, saves money and gives people time to study the choices. States such as Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Utah vote largely by mail, and they say it works.
The answer in three points
- Convenience is a good, and it must be balanced against the integrity of the process. A ballot cast at a polling place is handled under supervision from the moment it is cast. A ballot that travels through the mail, a drop box or a family member's hands is outside that chain of custody.
- The secret ballot is the protection against pressure. At home, a voter can be influenced or watched by an employer, a relative or an organization, and the history of the secret ballot shows why that matters. The 1883 reforms in America grew out of the abuses of open voting.
- States differ, and they should. The Constitution gives the states the primary role in running elections, with Congress able to set rules. Some states have a long tradition of mail voting and have developed safeguards, such as signature checks and tracking, and others prefer in-person voting with options for those who need to vote absentee. One national model would override local choices.
States can offer mail ballots to those who need them and keep the polling place for those who prefer it, with checks on both.
The numbers
- The Constitution's Elections Clause, Article I, Section 4, gives state legislatures the primary power to set the times, places and manner of congressional elections, subject to alteration by Congress.
- The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that a handful of states conduct elections primarily by mail, with others offering mail ballots on request.
- The Commission on Federal Election Reform of 2005 identified absentee ballots as the largest source of potential voter fraud, according to its final report.
What they will say next
"Mail ballots have been used for decades without trouble." In states with strong systems, they have worked well, and that supports state choice. The same safeguards are not in place everywhere.
"It raises turnout." Effects on turnout are modest in the studies, and they vary. High turnout is not a reason to relax security.
"Military voters vote by mail." They do, through a special system with its own rules, and that shows that mail voting suits specific needs.
"Drop boxes make it easy." They can be useful with surveillance and chain-of-custody rules, which states set differently.
Choices about how to vote belong to voters and legislatures, and any method should be transparent and checkable.
"Signature matching secures mail ballots." It is a safeguard, and it is imperfect, since signatures change and reviewers differ. A system with tracking and in-person options adds layers that help voters and officials.