Why are absentee ballots OK and mail in ballots not OK?

[Improviso]

@jon-nyc said in Why are absentee ballots OK and mail in ballots not OK?:

I don’t love the idea of making them universal like WA has done but during a pandemic it makes sense.

Ah... so masks work everywhere EXCEPT polling places. Is that it?

[jon-nyc]

No that’s not it at all.

[Doctor Phibes]

The point would be to reduce the risk as much as possible. Masks reduce risk, but staying away from crowds reduces it more.

Obviously, there's a risk of fraud, but there's a risk of fraud with absentee ballots, too.

[xenon]

My understanding on this:

• Mail-in ballots do have a higher risk of fraud

• That risk is acceptable enough to offer absentee ballots

• Overall observed incidence of fraud is very low

• Still - the risks need to be acknowledged and addressed

• There's zero chance there will be productive dialogue on this

[Loki]

I’d like an election result that was known right away. I would like votes to happen at the end of a campaign when all the “October surprises” have been addressed. I would like people to do their duty and show up at a polling place- pandemic be damned.

Otherwise why not just pick a party and that’s your vote and let the independents decide who wins. I suspect they are less interested in mail in.

[Axtremus]

@Loki said in Why are absentee ballots OK and mail in ballots not OK?:

Otherwise why not just pick a party and that’s your vote and let the independents decide who wins. I suspect they are less interested in mail in.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/310586/americans-favor-voting-mail-option-november.aspx

“Most Americans Favor Voting by Mail as Option in November”

68% of Independents support voting by mail.
It’s the Republicans who dislike voting by mail, only 40% of them support it.

This is not even hard to look up.

[Loki]

@Axtremus said in Why are absentee ballots OK and mail in ballots not OK?:

@Loki said in Why are absentee ballots OK and mail in ballots not OK?:

Otherwise why not just pick a party and that’s your vote and let the independents decide who wins. I suspect they are less interested in mail in.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/310586/americans-favor-voting-mail-option-november.aspx

“Most Americans Favor Voting by Mail as Option in November”

68% of Independents support voting by mail.
It’s the Republicans who dislike voting by mail, only 40% of them support it.

This is not even hard to look up.

Okay but it wasn’t even my major point.

[Doctor Phibes]

@Loki said in Why are absentee ballots OK and mail in ballots not OK?:

I’d like an election result that was known right away. I would like people to do their duty and show up at a polling place- pandemic be damned.

They make allowances for the elderly and infirm. Why not extend this to include other at-risk groups?

[Copper]

Obviously the democrats think the abuse will favor them.

And the republicans seem to agree.

[Jolly]

For a absentee voting, you show up at the courthouse or designated spot with ID in hand. You are checked against the voter rolls.

Then you are allowed to vote.

[taiwan_girl]

@Jolly said in Why are absentee ballots OK and mail in ballots not OK?:

For a absentee voting, you show up at the courthouse or designated spot with ID in hand. You are checked against the voter rolls.

Then you are allowed to vote.

I am not sure about that. I have voted in US elections when overseas and never had to show in person.

[jon-nyc]

@Jolly

Here you apply by mail. It’s conceivable that they check my signature but I don’t know.

[Rainman]

@jon-nyc
Oregon is all vote by mail.
I suppose the checking of the signature is uneven.
We found out that my daughter's ballot was not counted, as the election official (white-haired lady at a table, as seen on TV) decided her signature was not her's, the ballot was returned to my daughter via the return address which I doubt most people even bother to fill out.

I suppose there could be some mischief that could take place, as I don't trust any old ladies, especially if white haired.

[89th]

@xenon said in Why are absentee ballots OK and mail in ballots not OK?:

My understanding on this:

• Mail-in ballots do have a higher risk of fraud

• That risk is acceptable enough to offer absentee ballots

• Overall observed incidence of fraud is very low

• Still - the risks need to be acknowledged and addressed

• There's zero chance there will be productive dialogue on this

Good summary.

Also, I’m surprised we haven’t ventured into online voting yet. Maybe that’d be a bad thing...

[Copper]

@89th said in Why are absentee ballots OK and mail in ballots not OK?:

Also, I’m surprised we haven’t ventured into online voting yet. Maybe that’d be a bad thing...

Abuse, fraud and corruption would be much easier.

But what matters is if one side or the other sees an advantage in the fraud.