Absentee / Mail-in Voting

All states have some form of absentee or mail-in voting due to federal requirements. These voters normally include military and overseas citizens, voters with disabilities and students who reside in a different state. For example, absentee or mail-in ballots are sent to these military and overseas voters 45 days prior to federal elections. However, absentee or mail-in voting is often limited by states to a number of valid excuses based on age, absentee status or an inability to vote on Election Day.

Some states have a greater number of reasons and valid excuses to vote absentee ballots by mail or in-person in an election office. A number of states have no-excuse absentee or mail voting. Lastly, a number of states have implemented an entire method of mail-in balloting that includes return of ballots to secure boxes or by postal mail. Oregon instituted an all-mail-in balloting system in 1998 and other states like Washington and Colorado have instituted similar all mail ballot methods of voting.

Mail-in and absentee balloting provides certain vulnerabilities to the electoral system:

  • One stated general purpose for no-excuse absentee or mail ballot voting is to increase convenience and reduce long lines on Election Day. However, “Election Day” has become “Election Month,” which has increased the overall costs of election administration. County election offices that must process a large number of mailed ballots will experience significant delays in releasing official election results. A month or more of voting dramatically increases the overall costs to political campaigns for poll watching and get-out-the-vote efforts prior to Election Day.
  • Mail-in ballots are not cast in the secure polling place where precinct poll workers can confirm addresses and verify identification. A great deal of voter fraud and abuse of absentee and mail-in ballots has been documented across the country. Absentee or mail-in balloting may spur a short-term increase in turnout in local elections; however, there is no evidence that voting by mail increases overall turnout for the long term in general elections.
  • Absentee or mail-in balloting requires the use of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to transmit and return the ballot. This often causes delays to the election office. Citizens in states that use mail-in ballots often authorize the return of ballots to secure mail boxes that voters can use if they distrust the postal service.

A number of states authorize or require in-person absentee voting with verification by voter ID, and some states require a voter ID at the time of absentee or mail-in ballot request or return.

Alternatively, many states that allow absentee or mail-in voting use signature comparison to verify the identity of the voter. Many believe that signature verification is error-prone and not uniformly implemented by election officials across the country. While signature verification does catch a small percentage of invalid ballots or voter fraud, the system often fails to identify a great many irregularities associated with absentee or mail-in voting. Alternatively, many argue that signature verification routinely disenfranchises thousands of voters when it is used to ferret out an invalid signature.

ACRU Commentary

News

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Not All Voting Happens on Election Day

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Election officials begin mailing ballots Sept. 9 to any registered voter in North Carolina who formally requested one. That's the earliest in the country and 60 days before the Nov. 8 election. [...]

Federal Judge Upholds North Carolina Voter ID Law

RALEIGH -- A federal judge has upheld North Carolina's voter ID law in a ruling posted Monday evening. U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder issued a 485-page ruling dismissing all claims in the challenge to the state's sweeping 2013 election law overhaul. Schroeder, a George W. Bush appointee, also upheld portions of the 2013 law that reduced the number of days people could vote early, eliminated same-day registration and voting and prohibited people from casting a ballot outside their precinct. The decision comes nearly three months after a trial on the ID portion of the law. Schroeder noted that North Carolina had "become progressive nationally" by permitting absentee voting, early voting for 17 days before the Election Day, a lengthy registration period, out-of-precinct voting on Election Day and a pre-registration program for 16-year-olds. "In 2013, North Carolina retrenched," Schroeder said in his opinion. Ultimately, though, Schroeder said the state had provided "legitimate state interests" in making the changes and the challengers failed to demonstrate that the law was unconstitutional. "This ruling further affirms that requiring a photo ID in order to vote is not only common sense, it's constitutional," Gov. Pat McCrory said in a statement. "Common practices like boarding an airplane and purchasing Sudafed require photo ID, and thankfully a federal court has ensured our citizens will have the same protection for their basic right to vote." In reaching the decision released on Monday, Schroeder conducted a two-part trial that spanned more than 21 days in July and this past January. He considered the testimony of 21 expert witnesses and 112 other witnesses, and more than 25,000 pages that are part of the record.

Florida Mayor, Two Others, Indicted for Vote Fraud

ORLANDO --The mayor of Eatonville and two others face a host of charges in connection with an election fraud investigation. News of the indictment came as the grand jury looking into the case concluded its service Monday. Mayor Anthony Grant is accused of offering bribes in exchange for absentee votes -- allegations the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has investigated. "These three people conspired together to essentially present votes as if they were legitimate," said State Attorney Jeff Ashton. "That is the allegation in a number of the counts." Grant turned himself into authorities Monday night and is in the custody of the Orange County Jail. The two others named in the indictment, James Randolph and Mia Nowells, are also in custody. Officials said Randolph and Nowells worked for or with Grant during the election. "This indictment is the culmination of a one-year investigation," Ashton said. In a news conference, Ashton said Grant, along with his two alleged co-conspirators, Nowells and Randolph, is accused of either telling people how to vote or intimidating people to influence how they voted on their absentee ballots in last year's election.

Vote Fraud Convictions in Alabama City Spur Call for Resignation

Three Dothan city commissioners are calling for the resignation of District 2 Commissioner Amos Newsome after a third worker from Newsome's most recent commission campaign was convicted of voter fraud. District 1 Commissioner Kevin Dorsey, District 4 Commissioner John Ferguson and District 5 Commissioner Beth Kenward told the Dothan Eagle on Friday that Newsome's presence on the commission could lead to a lack of confidence from voters toward the commission as a whole. Olivia Reynolds, who assisted Newsome's commission campaign in 2013, was convicted this week on 24 counts of felony absentee voter fraud. Lesa Coleman was convicted in April on seven counts of felony absentee voter fraud. Janice Hart pleaded guilty to several counts of misdemeanor absentee voter fraud earlier this year. Three voter fraud charges remain pending against another person, Daniel Webster III.

Indiana Voter ID Law for Absentee Ballots Advances

INDIANAPOLIS -- An Indiana legislative committee has backed a proposal that would require the use of voter identification numbers for mail-in absentee ballots. The Senate Elections Committee voted 5-4 Monday to advance the bill. Sponsor Republican Sen. Mike Young of Indianapolis says requiring the identification number will help prevent instances of voter fraud. The number would be available via a state phone line and website.