Voting by mail? May not be a good idea...

[apcalc]

Your thoughts?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/theweek.com/articles-amp/925637/donald-trump-destroying-post-office

And

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/usps-delays-elections-vote-by-mail-worries

[bobbieinok]

1. Also would like to know what DUers think. Trump, GOP plan SUPPRESS THE VOTE

[apcalc]

2. I agree ... and we know he'll cheat to win...

[milestogo]

3. I just got my ballot for the August primary.

I have to say, I love having the actual ballot because then I can see everything that's on it, and do research on the candidates on the issues. I don't know how many times I have been surprised by a referendum question or voted for people because I had never heard of the competitor.

My state senate seat is open, and there are a half dozen candidates. I was only familiar with one. Now I've decided to vote for one of the others, because I like what I found out.

Oh, and I can walk down the street to my polling place, and hand my ballot in instead of mailing it. There should be a box by the door of polling places where people can drop off ballots, and have the security of seeing their ballot accepted.

[apcalc]

11. Being able to drop it off is nice. Trump admin arguing drop boxes are unconstitutional...

[Hoyt]

4. I don't see anything in those articles that make me concerned about voting by mail.

Yeah, if you wait until the very last minute, and the post office leaves your ballot on the loading doc, it COULD BE a problem. But, why the heck would anyone wait until the very last minute? Get your ballot in early, so that you can check on-line to ensure it was received (you can do that in my rube state).

Geeez. Request your ballot as early as possible, and submit it as early as possible. It's that darn simple.



As to post office becoming a bit more efficient, I honestly don't see a problem with the USPS trying to limit overtime, etc.

[apcalc]

12. My ballot was mailed to me the week before the vote, barely enough time.

[Blue_true]

18. I turned my last mail ballot around in one day.

My concern is that for deep blue areas, some envelops may be selectively spoiled. I live in a red county, but my VBM ballot sheet identify me as a democrat.

[liberaltrucker]

19. So was mine on the primary ballot

According to the Butler County election bureau, no
party affiliation in the GE. We'll see.

[Ms. Toad]

22. That will be true in primary elections - not in the general election.

In addition, you can check to determine your ballot was received and verified for counting here: https://registration.elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus

So envelope spoilation should not be an issue.

[Backseat Driver]

5. I have reservations this is a good idea

Corporate entities keep sending solicitations to my FIL even after his demise 15 years ago; seems fairly easy to check if their mailing list to drum up profits is legit current information, but..., again, there are so many ways to thwart the ideals of democracy...SMH that the threat to democracy by crimes of this nature most likely won't stop those bent on fraudulent voting any more than in-person voting machines without a paper trail. Regardless of large scale schemes to suppress, will there be consequences to individual participants who participate. That said, as with any other "service," human error and unlawful mail dumping, invitations and/or ballots to the deceased, missing, lost, and uncounted pieces...well, my heart wants to believe there's largely no harm in this method of voting; my head, confused on reports of what could happen when large portions of people in our community lose maturity, discipline, and/or respect for democrtic voting rights and privileges...SMH at the shame that either party needs to consider foul play at all...

[Ms. Toad]

21. The verification process for voting by mail is generally identical to voting absentee

You will have had to receive a ballot by mail and return the same ballot you received.

Signatures are required and compared to your voter registration card - so someone mailing in a ballot for someone else would need to know not only how they sign their name now, but how they signed their name when they registered to vote. (I've had my signature questioned more than once, because it has changed significantly since then.)

You also have to have access to identifying information, which includes birthdate and one of a number of other identifiers (driver's license number or social security + a few others in our state).

So you can't just grab a ballot, fill it out, and return it. The ballot envelope must match your signature, birthdate, and identifying number.

[Backseat Driver]

24. Well, there's the thing - I once asked for absentee ballot (by mail),

but then opted to go to the polls instead of completing and returning by mail or drop-off...despite PROVEN photo ID and unchanged residence, I was asked to complete a "provisional" ballot at the poll place as was another gentlemen who complained he'd lived at the same place for 20 years??? Supposedly, I had failed to return some post card sent about a changed polling place/name - there was no change about that nor did I receive any post card that requested returned information. My PO sucks with regard to delivery (large apartment kiosk, no regular carrier, etc...) Missing mail caused me to download PO's Informed Delivery service - still get other's mail and solicitations to decade dead relatives, LOL!

Then, we had new voting equipment with new digital signature pads, and because the equipment was brand new, very weirdly sensitive - there is no way my signature on the pad looked like my book sig - In addition, lots of "others" may have that
secure information info by now as we've been included in large data breaches as well as an on-line state Board of Election registration stuff provided to and published on-line by the State by/in response to some court case a few years back.

I really don't feel I've been victimized by a program of suppression, but I can easily see how it could become a manipulated problem, and I'm pretty convinced that the people in my community really don't value the right to vote as being sancrosant from those types of manipulation and/or fraudulent crime (largely red voters evidenced by Sen. Portman and Rep Stiver's gerrymandered district) should they be so inclined.

That said, I vow no one will keep me from voting to rid us of Dimwit Donnie! The Senate should have done that for us upon impeachment, but I digress...THAT GUY IS JUST UNFIT FOR ANY OFFICE LET ALONE THE WH - ALWAYS HAS BEEN! WE the PEOPLE NOW NEED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IN 2020!

[Ms. Toad]

25. That's exactly the process to ensure that you don't vote twice.

If you have requested an absentee ballot, you have chosen a voting method. Then if you show up at the polls you may be trying to vote a second time - hoping for a "ballot in the mail" coming in later and getting counted.

Provisional ballots ARE counted, as long as the condition that made them provisional (in this case a non-receipt of an absentee ballot) is satisfied. There is also a process for checking to see whether your provisional ballot was counted or not.

Once you vote on election day at a poll, your vote is mingled with all the others. There is no way to pull it back out. So if you have selected vote by mail as your voting choice they can't risk having you vote a second time in person.

As to the other gentleman (and any post card you shoudl ahve returned) - that has nothing to do with vote-by-mail. That was a tactic that should be illegal (but unfortunately isn't) to suppress votes. The presumption is that it will catch people who moved (who should no longer be registered at that address). It unfortunately ALSO catches people who did not understand that failure to return the post card would result in being removed from the voting rosters (even though they didn't move). It can be corrected - but you have to know it was a possibility in the first place. It is a scummy Republican voter suppression tactic - completely unrelated to reliability of the mail or voting by mail.

[Sherman A1]

6. Voted by mail this week

for our August Primaries and everything seems fine. I can track my ballot via a website or using the code provide.

[Autumn]

7. Voting by mail here in CO has been a great idea. It works well, unless you are a Republican

who would rather suppress the vote. Not only can they be mailed they can also be dropped off. Your ballot can be tracked. Donald Trump and the pukes hate it.

[Mossfern]

8. I don't trust Trump's new apointee

for Postmaster.

Our primary elections in NJ were all vote by mail or provisional ballot at one polling place in our town.
If the polls are open in November, I will put my mask on, carry my hand sanitizer and vote in person.
I've never had to wait for more than two minutes to vote, but if need be, I'm willing to wait for hours.
Maybe I'll wear something blue, for a subtle message.

[SiliconValley_Dem]

9. no. gote by mail is a GREAT idea

[apcalc]

14. I think it's a great idea... but these overtime restrictions have me worried.

Last time My county in PA got by barely in time. Any delays they wouldn’t have made it by election day.

[Blue_true]

16. Not in some states. Blue state people that have been voting by mail for

a long time NEED to realize that GBM may be a horrible idea in a state like my Florida. I plan to in person early vote and I advise everyone that live in battleground states to vote in person.

[Shrike47]

10. I live in Oregon. We've been voting by mail for more than 20 years. Works great, few problems.

You can drop off ballots if you prefer. The election office is a block from the library so we’re by there all the time. There are drop boxes around town.

[fierywoman]

13. Here in WA state (100% vote by mail) we have the options of voting by mail or

dropping the ballot in a safe ballot drop box in the town we live in. And then in a few days we can go on line to see that the ballot has been received.

[Blue_true]

15. I plan to early vote in person. Florida has 11 days of earl voting.

For the General, the polls are open 8am-8pm each day. I will have plenty of chances to vote when lines are small and social distancing is possible. I will have on a mask, goggles and gloves.

[Wounded Bear]

17. Been doing it for years. Washingtonian here and it works well...

Not sure about those states that are new to it.

[brooklynite]

20. If it'll make you feel worse, no means of voting is "safe".

And as much as Trump complains about vote by mail, they won't be "suppressing" it, because too many Republican States use VPM extensively.

[Ms. Toad]

23. Just make sure to mail your ballot early

And check electronically that it was received and verified as ready to be counted.

That way you will be able to remedy any problem if the mail is delayed.

[Imallin4Joe]

26. +1000. DO. NOT. PROCASTINATE. UR. F-ING. MAIL. IN. F-ING. BALLOT!!1!!1! .nt

[apcalc]

29. I mailed it the day I got it 3 days before primary). Applied months early.

[Blecht]

27. We have nothing to worry about in Oregon

I always just drop my ballot off in a box at my library several days ahead of election day.

We have a choice of mailing our ballots in or dropping them off. The whole country should do it this way.

[DSandra]

28. Trump wants to USE the coronavirus pandemic to scare everyone except his cult from voting

NO wonder why he has no interest in containing it.