[EL] Tag to exchnage on mail ballots & postage / Election night trackers

[Rob Richie]

Folks,

Following up on the exchange on the weekend about postage and vote-by-mail
ballots, my colleague this morning posted a blogpost on that very subject.
Here's what she wrote below.

Also, I'll paste in the teasers for three recent blogposts for those both
interested in the partisan horserace and for how our analysis of
partisanship and the winner-take-all rule provides insight into that
horserace.

Rob

##########
Nine House Races to Watch (and Five You Don’t Have To) on Election
Night<http://www.fairvote.org/nine-house-races-to-watch-and-five-you-don-t-have-to-on-election-night>
November 3, 2012
These are the races that prominent election forecasters might get wrong by
underestimating the importance of district partisanship in determining the
outcome of congressional elections. See what FairVote's partisanship-based
analysis predicts.

2012 Presidential Election Night
Scorecard<http://www.fairvote.org/2012-presidential-election-night-scorecard>
November 2, 2012
Predict the winner of the national popular vote for president on election
night using FairVote's measure of state partisanship

Presidential Campaign Attention: Why Most States Aren’t Worth Any Despite
Their Generosity<http://www.fairvote.org/presidential-campaign-attention-why-most-states-aren-t-worth-any-despite-their-generosity/>
]by Presidential
Tracker<http://www.fairvote.org/list/author/Presidential_Tracker>,
Andie Levien <http://www.fairvote.org/list/author/Andie_Levien> // November
1, 2012 //


http://www.fairvote.org/stamp-out-democracy-on-the-cheap
Stamp Out Democracy on the Cheap
by Patricia Hart <http://www.fairvote.org/list/author/Patricia%20_Hart>//
Published November 5, 2012

One first class stamp: 45 cents. One extra ounce to ship: 20 cents. Voting
in a democracy: priceless.

Elections are expensive. States must cover the costs of voter registration,
identification, access and education, provisional ballots, voting
technology and audits. With all the expenses associated with elections
administration, many states and local government are examining their
shrinking budgets and looking to tighten their belts. Unfortunately, in the
haze of cost-cutting fervor, some states are neglecting important
democratic principles with the aim of running democracy on the cheap. And
nationally, we let them get away with it.

In too many states, the government does not subsidize vote-by-mail return
postage but rather passes the costs along to voters. This policy, enacted
to save a dime, carries hidden costs, which are extracted from the
democratic process.

Here are four major reasons why the government should subsidize
vote-by-mail ballots: 1) arguably, paying for your ballot's postage is a
poll tax; 2) some counties may understandably accept ballots being returned
without sufficient postage, but if others in the same state do not, there
are issues involving equal protection; 3) the necessity for additional
postage is not always clear, causing some ballots to be lost in delivery or
late for arrival; 4) voting-by-mail reduces states' election costs and
should therefore be encouraged.

*Poll Tax:* Though outlawed by the 24th Amendment, vote-by-mail postage is
a form of poll tax - especially if it's unrealistic for the voter to have
the option to drop off their ballot in person, as is the case for people
living far from polling sites or out of state. Paying for ballot postage is
an expense charged by a federal agency (the postal service) and levied
disproportionately against some of America's most vulnerable citizens:
seniors and citizens with disabilities. While the government subsidizes
junk-mail with lower rates, voters must often pay to mail in their ballots.

*Equal Protection*: We have heard that policies in states can differ from
county to county on whether to accept voters' ballots that lack sufficient
postage. We applaud those offices that will cover these minor costs, but it
raises issues of equal protection under the laws if other counties are
refusing to accept such ballots.

*Ambiguous Costs Are Confusing:* Instructions are not always clear on how
much postage is needed to mail a ballot, which can lead to ballots being
lost in delivery or late for arrival. Depending on the city, county and
state, in which you live, your ballot may cost more to ship due to the
ballot's length, which affects its weight and thus shipping costs.
Additional postage is often needed, which can be confusing, especially to
first-time voters. My colleague Rob Richie's daughter is a first-time voter
this year and reached out to him for advice because the instructions on her
absentee ballot said "extra postage may be required" - and she doesn't live
near a post office, further complicating the situation. Richie instructed
her on how to make sure her ballot is mailed properly, but not everyone is
related to the director of a nonprofit that works on voting issues.

*Cutting Costs: *Voting by mail can save costs on Election Day for cities
and counties. Though vote-by-mail should never take the place of
traditional polling places, it can effectively lower the costs of polling
stations on Election Day. With fewer citizens coming to the polls in
person, fewer resources are needed to accommodate their ability to vote.
Meaning, localities are saving costs of printed materials, rental equipment
and poll workers. Why then should governments seek additional savings from
the voters responsible for the saved expenses?

In the end, voting should be a simple and secure process. Voters should not
be required to pay a federal agency to cast a ballot nor worry whether they
put enough postage on the envelope. Likewise, if our government wants save
on democracy, it should encourage less expensive voting methods, rather
than discouraging it by passing the costs of those methods along to voters.

FairVote's new Promote Our Vote <http://www.promoteourvote.org/>initiative
is designed to be a catalyst for a right to vote movement grounded in the
vision of a right to vote in the Constitution, but also in practical
details that show a city, state or nation's commitment to suffrage. Let's
stamp out the idea that democracy can be run on the cheap!





-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Respect for Every Vote and Every Voice"

Rob Richie
Executive Director

FairVote
6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 610
Takoma Park, MD 20912
www.fairvote.org  <http://www.fairvote.org> rr at fairvote.org
(301) 270-4616

Please support FairVote through action and tax-deductible donations -- see
http://fairvote.org/donate. For federal employees, please consider  a gift
to us through the Combined Federal Campaign (FairVote's  CFC number is
10132.) Thank you!
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