[EL] Voting by mail cannot ensure a secret ballot, which is the cornerstone of democracy (The Boston Globe)

Tue May 12 10:54:04 PDT 2020

Whether voting by mail or marking a sample ballot to take to the polls, people have gathered around the table to discuss the candidates and issues for generations. Many of us have involved our kids in the discussion. Some have taken the kids to the polling place to watch them mark the actual ballot. This is a non-issue.

Larry

From: Law-election <law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu> On Behalf Of Michael McDonald
Sent: Tuesday, 12 May 2020 10:32 AM
To: Jurij Toplak <jurij.toplak at um.si>
Cc: law-election at department-lists.uci.edu
Subject: Re: [EL] Voting by mail cannot ensure a secret ballot, which is the cornerstone of democracy (The Boston Globe)

FWIW, the California Supreme Court rejected a claim mail balloting should be deemed unconstitutional due to the loss of a secret ballot in Peterson v. City of San Diego (1983), finding a balance weighing in favor of increased access to lowered election administration costs.

https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/3d/34/225.html  

============
Dr. Michael P. McDonald
Associate Professor, University of Florida
703-772-1440 (c)

352-273-2371 (w)
www.electproject.org <http://www.electproject.org> 
@ElectProject

On Tue, May 12, 2020 at 7:40 AM Jurij Toplak <jurij.toplak at um.si <mailto:jurij.toplak at um.si> > wrote:

The Boston Globe published my view of voting by mail. A problem of families or employees voting together has been debated in the rest of the world for a century. In Austria-Hungary, in the early 20th century, voting in groups was a known problem. 

Much mail voting takes place at the kitchen table, with family members filling out their ballots together. The elderly and disabled cast their votes alongside their caretakers. The more timid or needy or financially dependent family members, and those in nursing homes, will often follow the advice or expectations of those on whom they depend in order to gain sympathy or favor or to avoid conflict, intimidation, ridicule, or dislike. The US has fought for decades around the world to make sure that women, youth, elderly, and the disabled may all vote in privacy, without a husband or family head looking over their shoulder, because such a circumstance cancels the free and honest expression of a voter’s convictions.

 <https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/12/opinion/push-mail-in-vote-gaining-steam-scrutiny/> https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/12/opinion/push-mail-in-vote-gaining-steam-scrutiny/

Jurij

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