This week President Trump promised to “lead a movement to get rid of mail-in ballots.” After initially declaring he would issue an executive order to end it, Trump’s press secretary signaled that they would also be working across the legislative branch, saying “I’m sure there will be many discussions with our friends on Capitol Hill, and also our friends in state legislatures across the country, to ensure that we’re protecting the integrity of the vote for the American people.”
Mail-in ballots have eroded the integrity of our elections for decades – and it’s easy to see how.
The safest way to vote is to show up to a voting place in-person where a trained poll worker confirms the voter is who they say they are and is eligible to vote in that election. The voter then votes in a booth by themselves. Once finished, they hand their ballot to another poll worker who submits and processes the vote immediately. Any variation from that process puts the security of the vote at risk.
That’s what makes mail-in ballots risky. The ballot loses the chain of custody immediately. Numerous people have access to the ballot. There’s no guarantee that the intended voter receives or opens the ballot or that they vote alone or without undue influence. Mail-in ballotharvesting operations specifically intend to influence voters tacitly or directly while they are voting. The completed ballot is then entrusted to a system where mail gets stolen all the time.
Texas has improved its mail-in ballot requirements in recent years by not only limiting who is legally allowed to vote by mail but also increasing the identification information of the voter on the ballot. There’s less of a chance for fraud, but it’s still not mistake-proof.
Voting is a fundamental right and key pillar of our democracy. It should be treated with tremendous respect and care and not weakened to invite fraud and error.
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