Oregon legislators propose national vote-by-mail bill
Source: Oregonian - Talia Richman
Voting rights across the country are under attack, according to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden's office.
To combat that, Wyden and Sen. Jeff Merkley introduced a bill Thursday to expand Oregon's vote-by-mail system nationwide. Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer is spearheading a related measure in the House.
The bill the Vote By Mail Act of 2016 would require every state to provide registered voters the chance to vote by mail and send ballots and pre-paid envelopes out at least two weeks before an election. It would also amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for automatic voter registration through a state's department of motor vehicles.
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/07/sens_wyden_merkley_propose_nat.html
Bravo Oregon, leading the nation on voter rights and now taking the lead nationally too.
Ron Wyden Verified account @RonWyden
Introduced my bill to give all Americans the option to #VoteByMail
https://www.wyden.senate.gov/vote-by-mail
Ron Wyden ?@RonWyden
Proud to have @AAPD @ACLU @CommonCause & @NALC_National support @RepBlumenauer & my #VoteByMail Act
Old Codger
(4,205 posts)Absolutely best deal for voting ..
bhikkhu
(10,708 posts)Voting here is simple. We get a printed pamphlet in the mail detailing all the candidates and measures with pro and con argument, we have a couple weeks to go over it, discuss it and decide, and then we just fill out the ballot and mail it back or drop it off at the ballot box. Participation is about 70%, even in midterm elections. No downside, drawbacks or complaints that I know of from either side here.
Salviati
(6,002 posts)Wounded Bear
(58,440 posts)absolutely the best way.
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)Too bad I can't afford the house I sold.
Raster
(20,996 posts)...but absolutely loved the mail-in voting in Washington.
I still shake my head at any attempt to limit voting IN ANY CAPACITY.
riversedge
(69,730 posts)shadowmayor
(1,325 posts)Paper trail to boot!
msongs
(67,199 posts)seabeckind
(1,957 posts)The ballot has a tracking number that can be verified to show that it was received and processed. You tear off that part before you put it in the envelop.
(added) The tracking number can be used as a notification to an interested party that you have voted. That means that calling can be culled. Easier for the GOTV. And less annoyance after you voted.
The processing is on video surveillance and the ballots can be retained and counted.... even by hand until there is no objections.
No polling places. You vote in your jammies. If the state requires voter ID? Show it to the mailbox and be on your way. Verification of voter is done thru the post office mailing system.
As for the current system? How do you know what was registered when you pressed the little ok button?
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)seabeckind
(1,957 posts)So that after you vote you don't have to be subjected to any more commercials.
Then if we could do something about drug commercials.
MurrayDelph
(5,281 posts)Where I live in Oregon, there's a special polling "mailbox" a few blocks away. I drop off our ballots I the way to the market.
raven mad
(4,940 posts)I'm biased - my husband was born there, and the entire state is pretty awesome.
I will absolutely back this idea!!
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)After it's done, someday in the future we might even be able to incorporate improvements in governance to go along with it.
Like a periodic vote of confidence. Forget the polling data BS, every 6 months or so you get to vote on whether your elected official is doing things the way they should.
Two bad marks on the record and that guy doesn't get to run again. Ever.
Some of those dam politicians are like herpes. Keep coming back and smelling up the place.
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)seabeckind
(1,957 posts)Which version do you use?
Retrograde
(10,073 posts)when some people were complaining about how long it was taking California to process all its ballots? Half the state or more voted by mail. First off, the signatures on all the ballots received had to be validated, which adds to the time to count the vote. Second, California has the added twist that ballots are accepted up to 3 days after the election as long as they're postmarked by election day itself.
I love being able to vote by mail. But the downside of letting everyone do it is that it will take longer for states to report their final vote counts - which is ok with me, but having seen how people and the media react when one state takes the time to count all its valid votes I can only imagine how they'd react if an election were closer.
About two of the points raised in other posts:
-in my state voters can look up their voting status and when their ballots were mailed on their county registrar's site. I had a ballot get lost in the mail once: when it didn't arrive in a reasonable time I emailed the registrar, explained the situation, and received a replacement. The ballots and envelopes are all numbered (and the voter tears off and keeps the number on the ballot) and are tracked from when they're mailed to when they're counted.
-I wish sending in a ballot early meant a decrease in political mailing and fliers. It didn't seem to work all that well in the state assembly contest we had last month - still got at least one flyer a day from a certain candidate even though my ballot was sent in early.
bvar22
(39,909 posts)but I have several serious problems with it.
#1) There is no direct Chain of Custody of your vote. After you drop it in the box, it disappears, and then the Media tells you who "WON" days later.
#2) There are no exit polls to verify the vote.
I still value exit polls as the first indicator that something is wrong with the election.
Exit polls are the Gold Standard in almost every other country.
There is really only one way to have secure elections:
1)Single Day voting, national holiday with severe penalties for employers who don't respect it. (essential for valid exit polls)
2)Polls open exactly 24 hours.
3) Paper Ballots filled out by each voter and deposited in a transparent ballot box that remains in public view 100% of the time with live internet feed observation of the boxes and vote counting until the vote is certified.
4)Hand counted in full public & internet view.
5)No ballot boxes can be moved to another location for counting until the vote is certified. All ballots must remain at each voting station in full public and internet view. Vote tally posted on the voting station door.
6)multiple independent exit polls.
I believe we have a serious election fraud problem in this country, and can not support any means to make it easier.