#80: Types of Mail-In Voting
There are four types of “mail-in” voting:
1) “Excuse-Required” mail-in voting: allows registered voters to request a mail-in ballot if they certify that they are physically unable to cast their vote in person. (Being out-of-town is only one acceptable excuse, which is why calling this “absentee” voting is a misnomer. Other acceptable excuses include illness or disabilities.) If approved, the voter receives a ballot by mail and returns that ballot by mail.
2) “No-Excuse” mail-in voting: allows a registered voter to request a mail-in ballot without having to certify they are physically unable to cast a vote in person. After validation, the voter receives a ballot by mail and returns that ballot by mail.
3) “No Request/No-Excuse” mail-in voting: every registered voter receives an application for a mail-in ballot. Only those requesting a mail-in ballot may receive one.
4) “No Application” mail-in voting: every registered voter receives a ballot by mail (often called “automatic” mail-in or “all-mail” voting). As with the other forms of mail-in voting, all ballots are subject to signature and other verification processes.
These are the facts you need to know:
— “Absentee voting” IS mail-in voting
— ALL forms of mail-in voting use the mail for delivery and return of ballots
— ALL types of mail-in voting require verification processes, including but not limited to signature verification, for the vote to be counted
Tomorrow’s topic: What is the risk of mail-in voting fraud?
