Talk:Postal voting

Does the article need a description on how postal voting actually works? I could describe the Swiss procedures, where hardly anyone goes to the polling station... (but voter participation is as low as 25-40%, although). Regards, --Keimzelle 12:23, 15 May 2005 (UTC)[reply]

We should merge with vote-by-mail

This article and vote-by-mail (which is what postal voting is called in Oregon) are on the same subject. We should merge them into one article.--Clipdude 18:02, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Nope

Sorry, absentee balloting is not synonymous with voting by mail. Absentee balloting is not necessarily done by mail. It can be done in person or remotely via the internet. On the other hand, voting by mail can be "early voting" and not absentee at all. If you want to elaborate on both articles to greater show the differences, I encourage that. - Electiontechnology 03:44, 5 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The claim that mail-in balloting in Oregon has produced higher voter turnout is not supported by the citation, which links to an opinion piece written by Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury published in the Washington Post.

Please see a summary of research conducted by Curtis Gans of American University's Committee for the Study of the American Electorate online at http://www.american.edu/ia/cfer/research/csae_09132004.pdf and note this finding (p. 4):

"The evidence is that all-mail balloting in Oregon has not helped and probably hurt turnout and for perhaps the same reason — diffusion of mobilization."