Voting by Mail

[IA_Seth]

http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071108/NEWS/711080029/1006/NEWS

Voting by mail?
By Dick Hogan

The Gazette
[e-mail]


CEDAR RAPIDS — Iowa Gov. Chet Culver wants to look into having Iowans cast their ballots by mail, and he's asking for input from residents and elected officials.

(snip)

"It's important to have a discussion about it," Culver told The Gazette after the meeting. "The reality is that every county in the state is trying to find a way to have a verified paper trail. This would be a good way to do it — or invest millions of dollars in more (voting) machines.

"I believe it would be interesting to know what Iowans and legislators think about that," he said. "It's a good time to have that discussion before we make a major financial commitment" to more machines, he added.

Oregon and Washington state have moved to voting by mail.

(snip)

Oregon and Washington, he said, "have pretty significantly increased the number of voters who participate in elections. It's certainly something we'd be willing to look at."

State Sen. Mark Zieman, R-Postville, is wary of any such proposal and "willing to bet" most Republicans share his suspicions.

Zieman, the ranking Republican on the State Government Committee, thinks an all-mail ballot system would be difficult to implement and vulnerable to fraud. He also thinks the idea is politically motivated.

"It takes away the integrity of the voting system," he said. "Having worked with Governor Culver on election reform, there's always a motive to his madness."

(snip)
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What do you all think? My first thought was also to be wary of fraud, but it would be interesting to take a look how Oregon and Washington are doing it.. it would be great to increase turnout.

Any election pros out there have an opinion?

[Debi]

1. Funny, my brother and I just talked about this

He lives in Seattle and he said absentee ballots were God's gift to mankind. (okay, a little overboard but he's never been political and hearing that he was even voting was a boone). He received a booklet w/his ballot that has a photo and some kind of description of each of the candidates (he didn't go into detail but it sounds like each candidate gets to put info into the booklet). He said that it's nice to get to sit down and read about each person before deciding who to vote for. Wow, and educated electorate? Couldn't be too bad. I like going out and voting, but wouldn't have a problem w/a broader absentee ballot program.

[IA_Seth]

7. Now that sounds good..

Even if we DIDN'T go to vote-by-mail, a voting booklet with all candidates and some info on each would sure make sense, wouldn't it?

[CornField]

2. Family and Friends in and around Portland

One of my friends is one of the higher-ups in the local GOP -- they can't praise their vote by mail enough.

As for me, I kinda like anything that keeps us from having to touch a screen to vote. At least if you do it by mail, it's got to be a paper ballot.

[Cairycat]

8. I like having my vote recorded on actual paper too

not to mention the convenience of not having to stand in line.

Just to play devil's advocate, doesn't voting by mail make intimidation more possible? I'm thinking employer-employee or spouse-spouse intimidation. Maybe that would play to the rethug's advantage.

On the other hand, needing to vote in person is a huge hassle for a lot of working people, so mail ballots would help Dems in that respect.

[rurallib]

3. Tomorrow couldn't be soon enough

Every time we propose opening up the system and making it more convenient RepubliKlans say it 'hurts the integrity of the system." Look back to last year when same day registration passed. Same people, same bullshit.
I would think vote by mail would be about the easiest to police.

[Counciltucky]

4. "Vulnerable to fraud"...

Yeah, because the voting machines are completely safe.

[IA_Seth]

6. I agree, the machines suck, but...

What would stop me from filling out your ballot and mailing it in? Or my wife's since, you know, we Iowans are all domineering sexist bastards and what-not!

I admit, I haven't looked into how the states currently doing this operate, so I am probably missing something.

[Debi]

10. Nothing but the necessity of a signature stating that you are the person voting

(with a ballot request signature on file)and voter fraud and forgery laws here in Iowa.

[IA_Seth]

12. I suppose it wouldn't be any different than absentee, eh?

I hope the idea gets more press and is able to move forward to full-on legislative debate.

[Debi]

13. Yes, are we arguing or agreeing?

I'm not awake yet. :boring:

[IA_Seth]

14. Lol, I think I am agreeing?

So where is the report on the JJ Dinner?

[Debi]

15. Ugh, please don't make me think yet

;)

[MaggieSwanson]

5. Yes, please.

I will be voting from abroad.

:patriot:

[petersjo02]

9. We vote absentee every election

That is vote by mail any way you look at it. I haven't heard much about fraud. Repubs just want to hang on to their hackable touch screens. Let's go for it. How do I let the governor know?

[progressoid]

11. My sister is in WA. I'll have to ask her how it's going.

I wonder how it affects the timing of vote counting?

Imagine if every state did this. I imagine it would end the spectacle of early returns on the east coast affecting turn out on the west coast.