Voting by mail has become an increasingly popular option among American voters. Three states—Washington, Oregon, and Colorado—conduct their elections almost entirely by mail, while others have seen growing rates of mail voting thanks to reforms such as not requiring an excuse to request an absentee ballot.
But while mail voting is very convenient for most voters, it brings with it some potential problems that can unintentionally disenfranchise voters and undermine confidence in the integrity of the ballot. However, there are a number of reforms that several states have already adopted that could strengthen the mail ballot system, ensuring that voting runs smoothly and that every vote gets counted:
- Pre-paid postage. States should prepay the postage cost on mail ballots. This would make it much more convenient to vote by saving voters a trip to the post office. It would also cost relatively little to implement and could even save money by encouraging more mail voting, allowing officials to operate fewer in-person voting machines or polling places. In a recent bipartisan vote in Washington state, for instance, Republicans and Democrats both heavily favored pre-paid postage.
- Tracking codes. States should require that absentee ballot envelopes bear tracking codes that allow them to be tracked as they make their way through the postal system and into the hands of election officials. This will enable voters to keep tabs on their ballots to ensure they arrive safely and are accepted. Oregon, for example, already does this. Such systems help improve voter confidence by letting them know their votes have been counted.
- Opportunity to correct errors. If there’s a problem with a missing signature on a voter's mail ballot, or if it appears not to match the one on record, states should require that election officials contact that voter and give them a chance to correct any problems, even if it's a few days after Election Day. Kansas lawmakers just passed a bipartisan bill to do this very thing, demonstrating that these reforms don't have to be partisan issues.
- In-person drop-off. Finally, states should provide an ample number of secure drop boxes for those who wish to deliver their mail ballots in person instead of through the mail, or for those who are doing so close to the deadline by which ballots must be received.
More states are likely to change their laws in the coming years to encourage voting by mail, so the use of mail voting will in all likelihood continue to grow. If states across the country take these simple steps, they’d help strengthen our democracy by making sure that every vote counts.
