Voting Early
One of the trends I've noticed is that more people are voting early and/or voting via absentee ballots. It used to be that absentee ballots were sent only to those with a damned good excuse (soldiers who were deployed, or business travelers,for example), but most states have loosened those requirements. In California, for example, absentee ballots are available just for the asking: no excuse required. Minnesota, on the other hand, still has restrictions on the process, but officials are clearly interpreting those restrictions liberally.
The Star Tribune had an interesting article on the whole issue of absentee and early voting.
Absentee voting was once considered a rare and exotic practice reserved for wealthy snowbirds, vacationers and soldiers overseas. But it is becoming an important and widespread part of the election process. The rise of absentee voting may spell convenience and accessibility, but it also is raising questions about the integrity of the system.
...Nationally, absentee voting accounted for 20 percent of those voting in 2004, up from around 14 percent in 2000.
...Minnesota is one of four states that require an excuse for in-person absentee voting and one of 21 states that require an excuse for voting absentee by mail.
Excuses include being an election judge, being away on business, having an illness or disability or having election day fall on a religious observance. Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer said election officials apply the restrictions generously.
Curtis Gans, director of American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate, said there is evidence that absentee voting lowers overall turnout, partly by reducing incentives for vigorous get-out-the-vote efforts. He acknowledged, however, that this is not likely to be the case this year when people want to make sure they have their votes counted.
He also said absentee and early voting is more susceptible to fraud. People can be paid for the votes and vulnerable voters, such as the elderly, may be more easily coerced or intimidated. In seven states, third parties can collect absentee ballots, leaving open the possibility the ballots might be discarded.
Given the potential for fraud, why are states starting to loosen the rules on early/absentee voting? Probably because of citizen demand. It's easy to see why travelers, military personnel, and the disabled would prefer access to the absentee or early ballot, but I think more is behind this than that.
I think people just don't trust the new voting machines, nor do they have any reason to. In the rush to avoid another torturous delay caused by hanging chads, the voting reform bill passed after the 2000 Florida debacle mandated electronic voting machines nation-wide. Unfortunately, that same bill contained no provisions for securing the new system, no paper trail, as it were, and the papers and airwaves have been filled with stories of the easiness with which the voting machines can be hacked and manipulated. Ohio in 2004, and San Diego and Maryland in 2006 certainly seemed to justify the fears that the machines were highly suspect.
This is not to say that the absentee ballot system is foolproof and fraud free, far from it, but at least the voter has a piece of paper that has to be looked at. There's some comfort in that, even for the non-Luddites among us. Senators Barbara Boxer and Hillary Clinton introduced a bill in 2005 that would have required a paper trail for every electronic machine, but that bill never made it to the Senate floor.
After November 7, depending on the outcome, it may very well be re-introduced, and this time might actually be considered. I certainly hope so. We need people to vote, and they need to believe their votes matter.
The Star Tribune had an interesting article on the whole issue of absentee and early voting.
Absentee voting was once considered a rare and exotic practice reserved for wealthy snowbirds, vacationers and soldiers overseas. But it is becoming an important and widespread part of the election process. The rise of absentee voting may spell convenience and accessibility, but it also is raising questions about the integrity of the system.
...Nationally, absentee voting accounted for 20 percent of those voting in 2004, up from around 14 percent in 2000.
...Minnesota is one of four states that require an excuse for in-person absentee voting and one of 21 states that require an excuse for voting absentee by mail.
Excuses include being an election judge, being away on business, having an illness or disability or having election day fall on a religious observance. Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer said election officials apply the restrictions generously.
Curtis Gans, director of American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate, said there is evidence that absentee voting lowers overall turnout, partly by reducing incentives for vigorous get-out-the-vote efforts. He acknowledged, however, that this is not likely to be the case this year when people want to make sure they have their votes counted.
He also said absentee and early voting is more susceptible to fraud. People can be paid for the votes and vulnerable voters, such as the elderly, may be more easily coerced or intimidated. In seven states, third parties can collect absentee ballots, leaving open the possibility the ballots might be discarded.
Given the potential for fraud, why are states starting to loosen the rules on early/absentee voting? Probably because of citizen demand. It's easy to see why travelers, military personnel, and the disabled would prefer access to the absentee or early ballot, but I think more is behind this than that.
I think people just don't trust the new voting machines, nor do they have any reason to. In the rush to avoid another torturous delay caused by hanging chads, the voting reform bill passed after the 2000 Florida debacle mandated electronic voting machines nation-wide. Unfortunately, that same bill contained no provisions for securing the new system, no paper trail, as it were, and the papers and airwaves have been filled with stories of the easiness with which the voting machines can be hacked and manipulated. Ohio in 2004, and San Diego and Maryland in 2006 certainly seemed to justify the fears that the machines were highly suspect.
This is not to say that the absentee ballot system is foolproof and fraud free, far from it, but at least the voter has a piece of paper that has to be looked at. There's some comfort in that, even for the non-Luddites among us. Senators Barbara Boxer and Hillary Clinton introduced a bill in 2005 that would have required a paper trail for every electronic machine, but that bill never made it to the Senate floor.
After November 7, depending on the outcome, it may very well be re-introduced, and this time might actually be considered. I certainly hope so. We need people to vote, and they need to believe their votes matter.
Labels: Election 2006, Voter Fraud
posted by Diane at 4:24 AM
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