Postal voting
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Postal voting describes the method of voting in an election whereby ballot papers are distributed and/or returned by post to electors, in contrast to electors voting in person at a Polling station or electronically via an electronic voting system.
It is of benefit to people who may not be able to attend an election in person, either through a physical disability or absence from the locality. This method of voting is available to voters upon application (sometimes with restrictions) in statutory elections in many democratic countries.
On the other hand, concerns about postal voting have been raised as to whether it complies with the requirements of a secret ballot, in that people cast their vote outside the security of a polling station. There have been cases of electoral fraud with postal votes in the UK (including at the 2004 European and local government elections in Birmingham)[1][2][3]
All-Postal Voting
All-Postal Voting is a variant of Postal Voting, where all electors receive their ballot papers through the post. Depending on the system applied, electors may have to return their ballot papers by post, or there may be an opportunity to deliver them by hand to a specified location.
There is some evidence that this method of voting leads to higher turnout than one where people vote in person or have to apply for a postal vote. Critics suggest that this is only a temporary impact, and that there are dangers in people using ballot papers intended for other electors.
This system is used for local elections in New Zealand. Unlike the United States, no security envelope is used. The ballot is simply sent in the mailing envelope. It has been tested by a large number of local authorities in the United Kingdom for their elections, and in 2004 it was used for elections to the European Parliament and local authorities in four of the English regions (see below for more details).
United States
Vote-by-mail is a variation of Postal voting in the United States where a ballot is mailed to the home of a registered voter, the voter fills it out and returns it via postal mail. This process eliminates the requirements to staff and run a polling center during an election, and can result in considerable cost savings to taxpayers.
Ballots are sent out, usually, three weeks before the election date, after a voter's pamphlet has been distributed. To vote by mail, an individual marks the ballot for their choice of the candidates (or writes in their name), places the ballot in a secrecy envelope, seals it, places it in the provided mailing envelope, seals it and signs and dates the back of the mailing envelope. This envelope is then either stamped and mailed at any mailbox, or dropped off (postage free) at a local ballot collection center.
There is a cut off date for mailing ballots and it is determined by the local voting jurisdiction. In some jurisdictions, postmarks do not count, and ballots must be received by a certain time on election day. In other jurisdictions, a ballot must have a postmark on or before the day of the election and be received prior to the date of certification. Many vote-by-mail jurisdictions enlist the help of volunteers to take ballots in walk up "Drop off Booths" or drive-up "Quick Drop" locations. The Help America Vote Act requires some polling options, often at central election headquarters, with machines designed for voting by those disabled who cannot vote a normal ballot.
First State with vote-by-mail
In the United States of America, the first state to do this was Oregon. In 1998, Oregonians passed an initiative requiring that all elections be conducted by mail. Voters may also drop their ballots off at a county designated official drop site. Oregon has since had reduced cost of elections.
Other states with vote by mail
Washington State - Currently, thirty-four out of the state's thirty-nine counties are entirely vote-by-mail. In addition, King County, the state's largest, is currently transitioning to vote-by-mail and Snohomish County, the state's third-largest, made the switch in May 2006. In the remaining four counties that still use polling places, more than half of the voters are already registered as permanent absentee voters. One of these remaining counties (Pierce, the state's second-largest) rejected a move to vote-by-mail because of the increased cost.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom votes cast via Postal voting are called Postal votes. In 2000, the UK government passed legislation to permit local authorities to apply to pilot innovations in the method of voting at local elections, with the first pilot elections being held in May that year.
In May 2000, 2002 and 2003, many local authorities piloted all-postal voting at their local elections. In May 2003, 35 local authorities did so. The outcome of those pilots was a recommendation from the Electoral Commission that all-postal voting should be adopted as the normal method of voting at local elections in the UK. This reflected the positive impact on voter turnout at these elections (in some places, turnout doubled) and the fact that there was no evidence of an increase in electoral fraud until the 2004 elections.
The local elections scheduled for May 2004 were postponed to June and combined with the European Parliament elections. The UK government used this opportunity to trial all-postal voting in these elections across four regions: North East, North West, East Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber.
The government faced heavy criticism from opposition parties due to the decision to over-rule the Electoral Commission's recommendation for no more than three regions to be trialled. There were numerous reports of problems, and due to the delays in passing the legislation many ballot papers were received quite late. However, apart from one ward in Hull where the election had to be re-run, the elections were completed successfully and the turnout in the four regions doubled compared to 1999. In the other regions, turnout increased by half. There have been allegations of electoral fraud as the postal vote does not need to be sent to the voter's address but can be sent anywhere of their choosing.
The Electoral Commission report into these elections drew back from their earlier recommendation because its research showed that a large minority of people wished to retain the option of voting at polling stations. Thus, the Commission recommended that a new model of multiple voting methods should be developed, including postal voting, rather than proceeding with elections run entirely by postal voting.
There have been cases of electroral fraud with postal votes in the UK (including at the 2004 European and local government elections in Birmingham)[4][5][6]
Controversy
Vote-by-mail has created some controversy. Some people oppose changing the tradition of going to a polling place to vote, arguing that requiring voters to go to polling places provides greater community, ensured secrecy, and importance to the voting process, while avoiding early voting. Others disagree with this argument, arguing that voting at home provides equal or greater privacy than designated polling places, and do not agree that there is a reduced sense of community or importance in voting associated with vote-by-mail. Concerns have been raised about the possibility of election fraud in vote-by-mail elections, varying from risks of multiple voting to the destruction of mailed ballots, but actual incidents are rare in practice and not known to be more likely than elsewhere.
Postal voting might increase the pressure of a dominant spouse to make their partner "vote right".
It is generally agreed that most people appreciate the convenience of voting by mail, but there is significant disagreement about how much and whether this preference actually translates into increased voter turnout.
When Oregon's 1998 ballot measure appeared, it was probably the leading watercooler discussion issue on the ballot. The voter's pamphlet arguments (here) capture the intensity of the disagreement.
The new book, Absentee and Early Voting, by John C. Fortier, documents many of the negative impacts and trends in vote by mail and absentee voting. The book gives a strong warning that "convenience voting" is undermining election day. Mr. Fortier's analysis contradicts many of the arguments that proponents of Vote By Mail in Oregon and Washington have made. http://www.aei.org/books/bookID.863/book_detail.asp
References
- ^ Judge upholds vote-rigging claims (BBC, 4. april 2005)
- ^ New fears over postal vote fraud (Guardian, 13. April 2005)
- ^ Labour to halt postal vote fraud but only after election (Times, April 11, 2005)
- ^ Judge upholds vote-rigging claims (BBC, 4. April 2005)
- ^ New fears over postal vote fraud (Guardian, 13. April 2005)
- ^ Labour to halt postal vote fraud but only after election (Times, April 11, 2005)