Voting by Mail?

[Subduction Zone]

It is very evident by now that the Democratic legislators in these states who said that these "emergency" rules that loosened the voting procedures last year, allegedly because of Covid, have no intention of ever returning to normal with any of them.

And then we hear from people who are on that side of the political divide claiming that there's no way to know if voting by unknown persons and without any way to know if someone is voting multiple ballots benefits their candidates rather than the Republican ones.

The rules make good sense. Covid or no covid. Why go back?

 

[ArmenianJohn]

I did not know it was false.

OK, so if you're not positive that what you say is true how can I trust what you say?

I usually vote in person and even when I did have mom request a ballot ( as I wanted to vote in an election and we were going to be out of town the fact that I live in an area where every one knows everyone meant that it was probably somewhat easier because the people in charge of voting knew me,knew her and knew we are who we say we are.

OK, I see. But you should understand that for the vast majority of Americans we don't live like that, not even close, and we have to abide by rules and laws. We don't have the luxury of people breaking the rules to help us because it's a good ol' boys n' gals network.

The irony there is that you are fine with the rules being bent or broken and not showing ID and having another person pick up a ballot for you but when it comes to others you are demanding strict ID checking. Do you not think that's hypocritical? Or at least ironic? Or do you think you are entitled to a double standard that is one way for you (easier) and another for other people (harder)???

 

[FreeinChrist]

I fully support secured mail in balloting. It would be incredibly easy to do.

1. The voter requests a ballot - that can be done on line/in person/ by phone/ by mail.
2. The ballot be sent directly to the person requesting the ballot.
3. no mass mailing of ballots
4. The voter returns the ballot with a copy of his voter registration card (it is needed to vote already).

I would accept that 100%

Arizona voters can get an absentee ballot for any reason, and can request them online.
see Voting by Mail: How to Get a Ballot-by-Mail | Arizona Secretary of State

One can also get on a Permanent early ballot list. The ballots are not sent out to everyone - only if requested. Most folks find it easier to fill it out at home and mail it.

I liked being able to track the ballot - if it was sent, when it was received, when it was accepted as valid, then when the vote was counted. I used to work 12 hr shifts at night (RN- ICU) and the last thing I wanted to do was wait in a line and vote. It was not bad for the smaller elections but not for the big ones.

 

[Ponderous Curmudgeon]

so two questions What do they do about homeless people? What do they do about people who move and do not let anyone know?

They are eligible to vote if they were registered and can cast a provisional ballot if they have moved.

 

[FreeinChrist]

How long does it take to fill out such a form? Over here, it takes less than 5 minutes.

It depends on how many local (city, county, state) ballot initiatives there are on the ballot. Many try to get their ballot initiative on the presidential one because there are more voters,

A ballot initiative is when there is a desire to add money to the local schools, or a city wants to use money to develop a property for commercial use, or to allow marijuana use for medical or recreational use, or and things like that.

I am taking care of my 96 year old mother and last year, it took her a long time to read and mark her ballot. It took her longer back when she was 80. She won't be voting anymore - dementia.

 

[Ponderous Curmudgeon]

The proposal in every state that I have read about has been for FREE ID's to people who need them and say they cannot afford to pay anything. The Democratic members of the legislature nevertheless responded by refusing the proposal.

Because it really doesn't add anything to security and just the process of acquiring this id card puts an undue requirement on a limited subset of eligible voters.

 

[Nithavela]

It depends on how many local (city, county, state) ballot initiatives there are on the ballot. Many try to get their ballot initiative on the presidential one because there are more voters,

A ballot initiative is when there is a desire to add money to the local schools, or a city wants to use money to develop a property for commercial use, or to allow marijuana use for medical or recreational use, or and things like that.

I am taking care of my 96 year old mother and last year, it took her a long time to read and mark her ballot. It took her longer back when she was 80. She won't be voting anymore - dementia.

Sorry to hear about your mother.

Stuff like ballot initiatives where some local nonsense is tacked on a big election doesn't exist over here. It sounds silly.

 

[Albion]

Because it really doesn't add anything to security and just the process of acquiring this id card puts an undue requirement on a limited subset of eligible voters.

That's just ridiculous. Shall we send registrars out to each person's home and offer a cold drink while they sign up, too?

This argument about how people cannot be inconvenienced even the slightest little bit if they want to participate in something as important as choosing our nation's government is one that I have come to recognize as just something people say to conservatives or Republicans rather than to admit to the obvious and then have to explain why it's the other party, not the Republicans, who are unreasonable when it comes to this matter.

 

[Ponderous Curmudgeon]

Sorry to hear about your mother.

Stuff like ballot initiatives where some local nonsense is tacked on a big election doesn't exist over here. It sounds silly.

Actually, it is a pretty good way of accessing a significant number of the local population in making a decision. Have a contentious issue, vote on it. Doesn't mean it always works well. (Brexit)

 

[Nithavela]

Actually, it is a pretty good way of accessing a significant number of the local population in making a decision. Have a contentious issue, vote on it. Doesn't mean it always works well. (Brexit)

Sounds just like an obstacle for the actual election to me.

 

[FreeinChrist]

Sorry to hear about your mother.

Stuff like ballot initiatives where some local nonsense is tacked on a big election doesn't exist over here. It sounds silly.

It gives the voter a bit more control about the money that is spent.

 

[Subduction Zone]

That's just ridiculous. Shall we send registrars out to each person's home and offer a cold drink while they sign up, too?

This argument about how people cannot be inconvenienced even the slightest little bit if they want to participate in something as important as choosing our nation's government is one that I have come to recognize as just something people say to conservatives or Republicans rather than to admit to the obvious and then have to explain why it's the other party, not the Republicans, who are unreasonable when it comes to this matter.

Can you say "strawman"? I knew that you could.

 

[Hank77]

I still recieve absentee ballots from Oregon and Michigan even though I do not live there anymore

How are you receiving them, through the mail? They shouldn't be being forwarded to you.

This year, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, the District of Columbia, and many counties in Montana will be sending all or most registered voters a mail-in ballot.

In the remainder of the states, you must affirmatively request a mail ballot. You can find the deadlines to request an absentee ballot and whether you can do so online or by mail here.
....
Keep in mind, however, that most states have laws prohibiting mail ballots from being forwarded by the Postal Service through permanent or temporary mail forwarding, McReynolds explained, to prevent people who have permanently moved from getting the wrong ballot.
How to vote and make sure it counts if you've moved or relocated in the past 6 months

 

[Subduction Zone]

Sounds just like an obstacle for the actual election to me.

It can be. In some of the elections in my state the initiatives have made more news, and were seen as more important by some than the state races.

 

[Hank77]

I still recieve absentee ballots from Oregon and Michigan even though I do not live there anymore

Joan Halstead, 71, was arrested two weeks ago for voting in person in Florida and by absentee ballot in New York during the 2020 election, according to an arrest report.

Florida The Villages residents accused of voter fraud in 2020 election after DeSantis pledges crackdown

so it is not safe

She must have applied for an absentee ballot in NY it wasn't just sent to her. Then she votes in person in a completely different state, so she must have registered to vote in FL.
The system caught her.

 

[Albion]

How are you receiving them, through the mail? They shouldn't be being forwarded to you.

None of this stuff should be going on, Hank.

But if there remains a partisan army of people ready to claim that invalid votes are but an inconsequential oddity that we should be happy to tolerate, it will continue.

 

[Albion]

She must have applied for an absentee ballot in NY it wasn't just sent to her.

If you are familiar with the NY laws in particular, I will defer to you on this particular one. BUT in a number of states the election boards simply sent out absentee ballots to everyone who was on the voting rolls at any time in the past decade, using whatever address they could find. Many people received several. Others had moved and the ballot was forwarded to another state, yet they still voted. And some were addressed to dead people, many of whom apparently chose to vote nevertheless because those ballots came back in the mail, filled out properly, and they were duly counted.

 

[Hank77]

None of this stuff should be going on, Hank.

But if there remains a partisan army of people ready to claim that invalid votes are but an inconsequential oddity that we should be happy to tolerate, it will continue.

This particular one has been easily solved by most states. The law says that mail-in ballots cannot be forwarded to any other address than the one it was originally sent to. Undeliverable ballots are returned to the county registrar of voters.

 

[Albion]

This particular one has been easily solved by most states. The law says that mail-in ballots cannot be forwarded to any other address than the one it was originally sent to. Undeliverable ballots are returned to the county registrar of voters.

I was addressing what happens, not just what ought to happen.

 

[Ponderous Curmudgeon]

Sounds just like an obstacle for the actual election to me.

No it is just an extra line you get to vote on but you don't have to, your ballot is still valid without that selection. Should we vote on every office on separate ballots?