Voting by mail would strengthen democracy
If we want to strengthen our democracy, we need to adopt the Universal Vote by Mail (UVBM) system.
Oregon was the first state to adopt a UVBM system. It was approved by a voter referendum in 1998, and was first used in the 2000 election. Washington gradually adopted a UVBM system, which was fully implemented in 2008, and in 2014, Colorado became the third state to adopt it.
UVBM has many advantages over traditional voting, that has voters going to a polling place and casting ballots. First, because it is easy and takes little time, it dramatically improves voter turnout. Since the 1970s, presidential elections have had an average turnout of about 55 percent. The average of the three states using UVBM was more than 8 percent higher.
Without participation, there can be no “consent of the governed,” and without consent, the government loses legitimacy. Governments without legitimacy are usually sustained by force.
A beneficial side effect of increased participation is a reduction in ideological extremism. When fewer voters participate, as in primaries and off-year elections, it is typically the less-dedicated moderates who stay home. Small turnouts skew results toward the ideological extremes of both parties, which makes governing more difficult.
UVBM allows more informed voting. Most polling places have lines, so there is social pressure to vote quickly. Unless you are well-organized and get a sample copy of the ballot, do your research on the candidates and issues and simply copy your preferences onto the voting machine when you vote in person, it is difficult to have sufficient time to make the most informed choices. While this is less of a problem for presidential candidates, even informed voters have difficulty knowing about all the candidates on the ballot in a typical election. Once you’re in the voting booth, it is a bit late to do research. Whereas, if you have a question while you’re voting by mail, you can simply look it up. Voting by mail allows voters to consult whatever resources they want, and even discuss the issues with others, so they can vote intelligently.
UVBM also makes election results more secure. While historically there have been some issues with absentee ballots, many of these were because absentee ballots require authorities to run essentially two elections simultaneously (in-person and absentee voting), which would be eliminated if all votes were mail-in votes. Mail-in votes also eliminate the need for voting machines, which is where the potential for significant fraud exists. While electronic voting enables results to be reported immediately, elections are a job for which computers are particularly ill-suited. Elections happen infrequently, expensive machines become obsolete before they get much use, and they are difficult to make secure, especially when manned by part-time employees who may lack relevant experience.
Tampering with the software on voting machines would make it possible for just one individual to change an election, whereas mail-in voter fraud, much like in-person voter fraud, would require many more participants to pull off in numbers big enough to make a difference. All of them would have to be willing to risk jail while maintaining secrecy. It’s the difference between retail fraud, where a relatively large number of people have to participate for the fraud to have an impact, and wholesale fraud, where a few people with the right skills can determine a result.
In the mail-in process, voter signatures are checked against their voter registration before the envelope is opened and the vote recorded. If there is an issue, there is more time to correct it and still have the vote count. There will always be errors, but where increasing identification requirements will prevent many eligible voters from voting because they lack the required ID, UVBM gives authorities the time to check for inconsistencies and still let people vote.
Foreign hackers would have no way to interfere with an election using UVBM, since they would need to be physically present. Additionally, the paper ballots would be readily available for a recount in a tight election, something not possible on electronic machines without a paper backup, a system used in many parts of Pennsylvania.
Finally, UVBM saves money. Setting up and staffing polling places is expensive, and UBVM obviates the need for that. Republicans often cite added expenses when arguing against extending poll hours or opening them early to increase turnout (critics argue that saving money is a pretext, and that the real reason Republicans oppose provisions for early voting is that early voters trend Democratic). The state of Oregon saves $3 million on every election cycle.
Universal vote by mail eliminates many of the contentious issues surrounding elections. There’s no need for voter ID laws, extended hours for polling places, concerns about the political leanings of companies providing the voting machines, or whether machines are secure or have paper trails. It increases participation, makes elections less partisan and more secure, makes it easier to be an informed voter, and saves money. Adopting a UVBM system would be a good first step in helping to restore faith in our democratic system of government.
Kent James is an East Washington resident and has a doctorate in history and policy from Carnegie Mellon University.