[EL] Change early vote?

[Sal Peralta]

In Oregon's VBM system there is no way to associate a particular ballot with a voter.  The voter places the ballot into a secrecy envelope and signs the envelope which has a barcode uniquely associated with the voter.  When the ballot is received, the envelope is processed, the signature is verified and the ballot is flagged "received".  Then the ballot is removed from the envelope and placed with the other ballots for processing.   This is intended to protect voter privacy.

I'm not sure I agree that this creates a problem of campaigns not working hard through Election Day.  To the contrary, campaigns get daily updates of which votes have been cast so it allows them to more efficiently target their outreach efforts on voters who have not yet returned their ballots.  Additionally the state provides voters with a web interface to check to see whether their ballots have been received and their status which makes it easier to cure potential problems such as the ballot getting lost in the mail or a failure to match the signature.

More Oregonians seem to be holding their ballots until nearer to the date of the election in recent years, possibly for reasons like those you've stated.  

This may be provincial, but I think it's a pretty innovative model.  

Best regards,

Sal Peralta

Sent from my iPad

> On Jun 4, 2015, at 3:06 PM, "Thomas J. Cares" <Tom at TomCares.com> wrote:
> 
> In early voting practices, is there precedent for states making it easy for one to change their early vote? I mean campaigns are on full steam in those final days, it seems to corrupt the political process to allow ballots to be cast 20 days early. In my participation in democratic clubs, I commonly hear last minute remorse over a mailed in vote "wow, I didn't know that school board candidate thinks evolution should be stripped from biology class; I can't believe I sent my ballot in, voting for her."
> 
> When I was a candidate, towards the very end, I had people tell me "I wish I didn't already send in my ballot, I wish I would have voted for you." Which could be disingenuous except one such person offered to volunteer a little for the campaign in the final days.
> 
> See, I tend not to mail my ballot early, because I don't know how campaigns will develop - if someone might have a Monday night Todd Akin moment that costs them my respect.
> 
> But, ideally, the state would allow people to still show up on Election Day and request their cast ballot arrange to be discarded, and cast a new one. Not just so voters can change their mind, but so campaigns are not so inhibited to keep making their case until the final day.
> 
> I realize some of the logistical challenges in doing this, which seem minor, in my view.
> 
> Has it been done?
> 
> -Tom
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
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