REGISTER, VOTE BY MAIL, BE A POLL WORKER HERE: https://votesaveamerica.com/everylastvote
The 2020 election was always going to be messy and controversial. But with the emergence of the Coronavirus pandemic and multiple reports of potential foreign interference, Election Day in November is set up to be a perfect storm of problems to test our democratic process. Despite these challenges, the viability of absentee voting (also known as voting by mail) is emerging as a key method of ensuring the ability to exercise our most fundamental right. This week, we’ll take some time to debunk many of the myths surrounding voting by mail and will provide links to help you get set up to ensure your vote counts in November.
Myth: Vote By Mail Fraud Is Easy
Truth: Vote by mail fraud is Nearly impossible
First of all, it is important to note that elections in the United States are administered at the state level, not the federal level. This means that voting is extremely decentralized and difficult to manipulate at any meaningful scale. In most states, including Minnesota, the vote by mail process is extremely secure. All ballots are given a unique barcode for tracking and verification purposes. Ballots are scanned and cross-referenced with the state’s voter database to ensure nobody votes twice. With this setup, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to forge the exact type of ballot needed with the exact barcode required. The voter registration databases also have checks in place to ensure nobody casts both a mail-in ballot and votes in person during the same election. In fact, there have only been a handful of voter fraud cases in the past twenty years, with only about .00006% of ballots impacted in these cases.
Myth: Vote By Mail is Very Complicated
Truth: Vote By Mail is Very simple
Most everyone has probably received a form in the mail that needs to be filled out and sent back. The vote by mail process is no more difficult than that. In most states, people can simply sign up either online or mail in an application to get registered to vote by mail. As long as you register before your state’s deadline, you’ll receive a ballot in the mail prior to Election Day. Then you simply fill out your ballot, stuff it in a sealed envelope, sign the envelope, and send it back in the mail. For Minnesota, you can view the entire process in a step by step YouTube video here. In Minnesota, you can request a vote by mail ballot and complete the voter registration process all at one place. It’s important to remember at this stage that nearly every state is going to experience a massive surge in vote by mail ballots and the USPS is facing new funding and leadership challenges. If you plan to vote by mail, be sure to complete this process as early as possible to give your ballot enough time to get through the postal system to be counted.
Myth: Vote By Mail helps Democrats, Hurts Republicans
Truth: There is little evidence Vote By Mail Helps Either Side
Regardless of whether or not vote by mail would help one political party or another, there ought to be widespread support for it in the midst of a pandemic. Unfortunately, the myth that voting by mail helps Democrats has allowed the issue to become partisan. In reality, there is very little evidence that vote by mail helps any one party over another. Voting by mail can benefit all age groups, ethnicities, and communities because it creates more opportunities for secure voting to occur. Voting by mail is all about ensuring that everyone has access to voting even if the worst of the pandemic hits in early November. But perhaps the best evidence against this myth is the simple fact that several states (both Democratic and Republican) have already had universal voting by mail for years without concern. It’s only in the hyper-partisan age of the current administration where voting by mail has suddenly (and without evidence) become a political fight due to the misplaced belief by the president that voting by mail somehow hurts his party.
Myth: Vote By Mail allows people to vote after election day
Truth: Vote By Mail Ballots MUST Be Postmarked By Election Day
So this one can get a little complicated. In most states, you can mail your ballot in by the day of the election for it to count. However, some states have deadlines that are earlier than Election Day! Be sure to check this deadline and submit your ballot well in advance of the deadline to ensure it is postmarked on time. But another practical effect of ballots postmarked on Election Day is that we should be prepared for many state results to be finalized days after Election Day. We may not receive the full results on election night as per usual. The race may look like it is going one direction on November 3rd, but then start to go another direction as more ballots come in. In addition, there is a very real potential for problems with ballots sent close to election day. In short, SEND IN YOUR BALLOT RIGHT AWAY to avoid the very real problem of missing deadlines.
The Bottom Line
REGISTER, VOTE, & VOTE EARLY! Voting by mail is secure, safe, easy, and nonpartisan. In most cases (including Minnesota), you can register to vote by mail and still choose to vote later in person (as long as you haven’t cast a ballot by mail obviously). Whether you choose to vote by mail or vote in person, check out these links to help you navigate this process and ensure your vote is counted:
Video Guide To MN Voting By Mail: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/07/17/mail-in-voting
Absentee Ballot Deadlines: https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot-deadlines/
MN Voter Registration & Vote By Mail Signup (DFL): https://www.dfl.org/page/vote-by-mail/
MN Voter Registration Check: https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/VoterStatus.aspx
MN Voter Registration: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/register-to-vote/
Wisconsin Voter Registration: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/
Voting Information (All States): https://vote.gov/
Register, Vote By Mail, Be A Poll Worker: https://votesaveamerica.com/everylastvote