[EL] Line Standers --not just heroic but Hiatoric

Thu Nov 8 14:32:28 PST 2012

Thomas,

Why bother with in-precinct elections at all?   It simply drives up the cost and complexity of the election with little benefit.  As you have learned, the sentimentality of standing on line at a polling place evaporates pretty quickly as new rituals take their place.

Best,

Sal

________________________________
 From: Thomas J. Cares <Tom at TomCares.com>
To: Dan Meek <dan at meek.net> 
Cc: Salvador Peralta <oregon.properties at yahoo.com>; Election Law <law-election at uci.edu> 
Sent: Thursday, November 8, 2012 2:03 PM
Subject: Re: [EL] Line Standers --not just heroic but Hiatoric

Dan, Salvador, and all,

While I'm familiar with Oregon's system, I was thinking you could take what California has, but, simply, instead of every voter getting a "sample ballot" in the mail, they can get an actual ballot.

As someone who opted to be a permanent vote by mail voter in 2009 (and has never missed an election since - including local-only elections), I feel like I get a very unfair advantage - with no drawbacks - just because I (like many - but not most - others) requested it.

I get a ballot in the mail, and I can return it by mail up until the Friday before election day. Alternatively, I can bring it to any polling place in my county on election day, and not have to wait at all (when I voted in person in 11/08, I waited about an hour). And, if I lose the ballot, or spill a drink on it, I can still vote in person. It gives me more options, providing for less burden, without me having to concede anything; it seems unfair that many voters have this advantage, while most don't, just because they didn't take the affirmative steps to opt for it.

When I ran for office 3 years ago, I was astonished at how favorably disproportionate absentee votes were in prior primary and low-turnout elections in my districts. I don't remember the exact data, but I sent out emails with the following quote, advising non-absentee voters to request absentee ballots (it was a special election with an inevitably-low turnout). I'm sure this paragraph in the email was an honest reflection of the data I had reviewed:

I'm writing you, this early morning, specifically, to let you know that, while the election is still about a week away, there's A DEADLINE, TONIGHT (11:59 pm, 8/25/09), to very-easily ask the County to send you a ballot in the mail, through a convenient online form - https://LaVote.net/SECURED/AV
>
>>
>  I really wouldn't want you to be without a voice in this election, and so I didn't want you to unwittingly miss a deadline to vote in a way that might be far more convenient. While only about 10 percent of voters choose to receive ballots in the mail, those 10% traditionally end up casting about two-thirds of the total votes cast in special elections like these. Even if you don't actually mail your ballot back, being a vote-by-mail voter gives you the advantage of be able to return your ballot, on election day, to ANY polling place, without any waiting (instead of having to cast a vote at your one assigned location).

Thomas Cares

On Thu, Nov 8, 2012 at 1:11 PM, Dan Meek <dan at meek.net> wrote:

Thomas Cares may assume that in a vote-by-mail system there would be ballot drop boxes conveniently located for all voters.  That is not the case in Oregon, where in rural areas drop boxes are often 50 miles or more apart.
>
>And why have special ballot drop boxes, when there are hundreds of
    millions of regular mail drop boxes in America, including one at
    virtually every residential and business address?  A better solution
    would be Thomas's recommendation of free postage for all ballots,
    along with the Washington approach of counting every ballot that is
    postmarked on or before election day.
>
>
>Dan Meek 503-293-9021  dan at meek.net 866-926-9646 fax  
>
>On 11/8/2012 11:21 AM, Salvador Peralta wrote:
>
>Tom describes exactly the process that exists with respect to vote by mail as it is presently conducted in Oregon.  
>
>
>Starting in 2012, the USPS is obliged by its own policies to
            deliver ballots regardless of whether the ballots have
            sufficient postage.  
>
>Ballots may be returned via the mail or in person to ballot
            drop sites located in the counties in which voters reside.  
>
>Voters who lose their ballots may request a provisional
            ballot at their local county clerk's office.
>
>On the question of fraud or potential fraud, I would hope
            that some of the academics on the list will consider
            conducting a serious study on the strengths and weaknesses
            of VBM as it is conducted in Oregon and Washington.  A study
            recently posted to the list that touched on VBM versus
            in-precinct voting struck me and several of the folks I
            shared it with as being remarkably short on actual data.
>
>After reading about the various problems around the country
            -- long lines; faulty touchscreen machines; poorly trained
            poll workers; potential voter initimidation; voters missing
            from the rolls in their precinct; ad hoc policies with
            respect to the handling of provisional and absentee ballots,
            etc. -- I imagine that more states will look toward vote by
            mail as an alternative, particularly since the cost of VBM
            is substantially less than in-precinct polling.
>
>
>
>
>________________________________
> From: Thomas J. Cares <Tom at TomCares.com>
>To: Election Law <law-election at uci.edu> 
>Sent: Thursday, November 8, 2012 10:36 AM
>Subject: Re: [EL] Line Standers --not just heroic but Hiatoric
> 
>
>I have doubts that any of the five ideas in the WaPo article Rick linked to would dramatically improve wait times. 
>
>
>I wonder if we could do something bigger, like just mail everyone a vote-by-mail ballot, and have the federal government fully subsidize return postage for all VBM ballots. Voters could discard the ballots and vote at the polls as if they'd never received them, or mail them, or return them to any polling place in their county.
>
>
>With this, I'd bet less (maybe a great deal less) than one-third of ballots would actually be filled out at polling places, and that the overwhelming majority would either mail their ballot or simply drop it off at a polling place on election day (with the convenience of being able to go to one near their job, or favorite grocery store, and not necessarily the one in their home precinct - and not having to wait!).
>
>
>I suspect the argument against this would be the potential for fraud (I'm not sure that's meritorious though; diligent implementation could probably prevent fraud).
>
>
>There's a good argument for better early voting policies, but a disadvantage to early voting is that something may happen in the last days of the campaigns that could cause an (objective) voter to change their mind on at least one thing on their ballot (I'm a permanent vote by mail voter, but whenever I'm certain I'm going to be in LA County on election day, I hold my ballot until the election to allow for that contingency). It would certainly seem helpful if all voters had the automatic option to fill out their ballot at home and quickly drop it off on election day.
>
>
>
>
>Thomas Cares
>
>
>On Thu, Nov 8, 2012 at 8:01 AM, Roy Schotland <schotlan at law.georgetown.edu> wrote:
>
>We haven’t sung enough about the Line Standers, who stand among the all-time proof of how much people –as grass-roots as can be-- care about the Right to Vote.  
>> 
>>Roy A. Schotland
>>Professor Emeritus
>>Georgetown Law Center
>> 
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