Overcoming Vote by Mail Challenges
Two out of 3 of Americans believe that it is “very to somewhat likely that the coronavirus outbreak will significantly disrupt people’s ability to vote” in the 2020 presidential election, according to a Pew Research poll. Are you currently prepared for this probable reality? Expanding vote by mail is one recommended option to combat health risks during the pandemic by supplementing in-person voting with alternative options to reduce face to face contact during elections.
Vote by mail is widely supported across the country—70% of Americans think every voter should have the ability to vote by mail if they choose including significant bipartisan support, with 87% of Democrats and 49% of Republicans in favor of this measure. In states with higher rates of voting by mail, support increases even more, with 68% of Republicans and 89% of Democrats favoring expanded vote by mail.
While the statistics demonstrate clear, bipartisan support for expanding vote by mail, it is important to recognize the greater disparity in states where vote by mail is a less established practice. Mail-in ballot security, impact on turnout, and potential partisan advantages are some of the most prominent concerns raised that contribute to resistance to expanding vote by mail. Additionally, in recent months, there have been a number of logistical challenges encountered when rapidly expanding vote by mail to protect voters during this national health crisis.
Implementation Challenges
As states have moved to implement vote by mail reforms to quickly respond to the coronavirus outbreak, officials have encountered a number of challenges that raise concerns about the policies.
In North Carolina, the Center for Voter Information had to recall 80,000 invalid absentee ballot applications it sent to voters because it preprinted the voter’s name and address on the application. The group resent unmarked absentee ballot applications to the voters; however the incident underscores the difficulties voters and organizations face when deciphering between complicated and fluid state election laws. Small errors can further contribute to confusion about voting by mail and can be the difference between tens of thousands of voters having access to vote by mail.
Voters in Georgia also reported a significant number of problems during the state’s primary, including significantly reduced in-person polling locations, long lines, malfunctioning voting equipment, and limited number of poll workers with insufficient training. A number of voters requested absentee ballots to mail in, but never received them and therefore decided to attempt to vote in person. However, they were blocked from voting in person by the system which recorded them as having already requested an absentee ballot. Similar reports of voters not receiving absentee ballots on time are also being examined in primaries held in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Maryland, and Washington, DC. During the pandemic, it is especially critical that states are prepared to quickly address unexpected challenges while changing their systems to incorporate higher rates of vote by mail.
In Kentucky, restrictions on valid excuse absentee voting were lifted for the pandemic, allowing every voter the opportunity to cast a ballot by mail. However, vote by mail reforms were coupled with significantly reduced in-person polling locations from 3,700 to 200. Each of the two largest counties in the state, had one in-person polling location. On Election Day, there were long lines to vote into the evening and candidates had to file an injunction to keep polls open hours later for voters. As in Georgia, despite beneficial expansions to vote by mail, this highlights the importance of election officials adapting to changing demand for other voting services and voters understanding their options during the pandemic.
Finally, 1 in 10 mail in ballots were reportedly rejected in a May special election in New Jersey. While there were a dozen different reasons mail ballots were rejected, it was most commonly because of a signature mismatch or because the ballot arrived too late. The high rate of rejection raises concerns for the state’s upcoming primary, as well as the general election in November, as a large number of ballots are anticipated to be cast by mail. Many people are voting by mail for the first time, so it is important for processes evaluating mail in ballots to account for this to ensure votes are not rejected for minor, amendable error.
Ballot Security
For voters less familiar with voting by mail, another major concern is often rooted in questions about the security of mail in ballots. Voting by mail is one of the most secure ways to vote, with dozens of safeguards and security measures in place to protect voters. There is no evidence that mail in ballots can be forged or tampered with to interfere with an election.
According to experts on voter fraud, over the past 20 year, more than 250 million ballots have been cast by mail and there have only been 143 criminal convictions for election fraud related to mail ballots. This demonstrates a statistically insignificant mail voting fraud rate of just 0.00006%.
Ballots are uniquely designed for each election, with many different variations in every state and jurisdiction. Ballots go through multiple levels of reviewing, testing, and proofing to ensure they are secure, cannot be duplicated or forged, and can only be processed by specifically programmed scanners. In a comprehensive analysis of voting by mail, the Brennan Center for Justice reports six key features of vote by mail which protect voter security. These security features were also highlighted in a recent letter from a coalition of right-of-center policy experts.
Identity verification — Officials are able to confirm a voter’s identity and mail in ballot authenticity by matching the individual’s signature and personal information included in the ballot to secure voter registration rolls. When done properly, this ensures the authenticity of the ballot submitted and makes it incredibly difficult to submit a fraudulent ballot by mail.
It is important to note that improper ballot signature matching procedures can lead to increased rejections of ballots. In order to reduce rejected ballots, states can implement greater standardization of mail in ballot envelopes and voter instructions, consistent procedures for processing and validating signatures, and improved processes to ‘cure’ or resolve flagged signatures.
Bar Codes — Nearly all absentee ballot envelopes feature unique barcodes to allow officials to track ballot processing and notify voters whether their ballot has been received, making it much easier to resolve problems along the way.
Secure drop off locations & drop boxes — By providing secure locations and drop boxes to submit absentee ballots, voters have the independence to choose a submission method safest for them and are ensured that their ballot is not stolen or tampered with in any way. Drop boxes are constantly monitored by trained election staff and provide a number of additional security features. In Illinois, before ballots can be submitted into the drop box, all envelopes must be signed by the voter and stamped with the date, time and location submission. Ballots from the drop boxes are secured and transported for deposit every day, and then the drop boxes are locked at night to ensure they are not tampered with.
Harsh penalties — There are severe criminal and civil penalties for voter fraud by mail, with federal penalties as great as 5 years in prison and fines of $10,000, presenting significant deterrents to voter fraud by mail.
Post election audits — Post election audits create a statistically grounded process to detect any irregularities or interference in an election. Mail-in ballots are one of the best voting methods for this because audits require voter-verified paper records of each vote.
In-person polling locations — Voting by mail is not an optimal system for all voters, including people with disabilities who need in-person assistance to cast a ballot, people without a permanent address to receive mail, and people without access to mail services like many Native American and indigenous communities. As vote by mail is being rapidly adopted at high rates, problems are inevitable. In-person voting locations serve as a fail-safe alternative to provide essential services, resolve problems, and ensure all eligible voters are able to cast a valid ballot.
Voter Participation
In states that have held elections during the pandemic, there have been record levels of voters casting their ballots by mail. The increased number of mail in voting has, in many cases, contributed to overall increased levels of participation in elections.
Studies have shown that states with all mail elections consistently have some of the highest rates of voter participation in presidential elections. A 2013 study of Washington state elections found that expansions to vote by mail contributed to a 2 to 4 percent increase in turnout. The voters most influenced by vote by mail were those considered to be least likely to vote.
Expanded mail in voting has also been shown to have additional potential benefits beyond increased voter turnout. Mail in voting has also been shown to increase the time that voters take to go through and research candidates on the ballot. One study reported voters spent an average of 2 days to complete their mail in ballots from home, compared to the average 3.5 minutes spent filling out ballots when voting in-person. This indicates that voters took longer to research candidates, and consider the merits of different candidates, especially paying more attention to down ballot races and local offices.
Partisan Advantage
In relation to increased voter turnout, concerns have been historically raised about whether or not increased participation leads to some form of partisan advantage. This issue has been raised by both Democrats and Republicans in the past. Research studies clearly demonstrate that vote by mail does not significantly advantage one party over another during an election. At most, vote by mail has been shown to give one party a slight increase in voter turnout, and both Democrats and Republicans have benefited from this marginal advantage in past elections, underscoring that vote by mail does not definitively advantage one party over another.
A study of all mail elections in Colorado in 2014 found that Republicans outperformed Democrats at a slightly higher rate, winning three of four statewide races on the ballot. In contrast, a study of elections in Utah in 2016 found that Democrats received an equally marginal advantage in counties that switched to all mail voting.
Studies of these states confirm that vote by mail expansions increased overall turnout for both parties. Vote by mail had the most significant effect on voters who are identified as least likely to participate in an election. These voters do not tend to advantage one party over the other, which the study suggests may be due to many of the voters paying less attention to politics, having more flexible political ideologies, and being more influenced to vote based on outside events or individual candidate characteristics.
Takeaways
Expanding vote by mail is essential to ensure every voter has the ability to safely cast a ballot in elections during the pandemic. However, it is necessary to address concerns with vote by mail and dispelling common misconceptions with the practice to ensure that implementation of vote by mail reforms are done carefully and voters feel confident casting a mail in ballot.
At BallotReady, we are committed to keeping you up to date on the latest developments in every state on vote by mail and other election policies and procedures. We have developed digital tools, like our Vote By Mail Engine and state-by-state vote by mail guidelines to ensure you and your voters have the information you need going into Election Day.