Democrats Are Using The Coronavirus Pandemic To Achieve Long Sought Goals That Would Compromise Critical Voter Protections And Undermine The Security Of The Election Process

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The Facts:

DEMOCRATS WANT NATIONWIDE, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT-MANDATED MEASURES THAT ELIMINATE SAFEGUARDS FOR MAIL IN VOTING INCLUDED IN THE NEXT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF PACKAGE

Democrats want to use the next round of coronavirus relief to " to bolster mail-in voting ."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has backed a bill co-sponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Ron Wyden that would waive all absentee ballot requirements making "every American eligible to vote by mail."

Transitioning to an all-mail voting system would be disruptive and a similar transition in New Jersey left voters confused and discouraged.

In Wisconsin confusion around the delivery of absentee ballots during their primary contest has launched a USPS investigation.

UNIVERSAL VOTE BY MAIL COMES AT "SIGNIFICANT COST TO THE REAL AND PERCEIVED INTEGRITY OF THE VOTING PROCESS"

Election officials say fraud in voting by mail is "vastly more prevalent than the in-person voting fraud."

The CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project recommended that states abolish voting by mail because of the "significant cost to the real and perceived integrity of the voting process."

Mail in ballots make it " much easier " to buy and sell votes, a common type of voter fraud that has long plagued the rural south.

Mail in ballots are " fundamentally not a secret ballot " and therefore voting by mail undermines voter protections and provides opportunities for people to coerce vulnerable voters to inappropriately influence how they vote.

Elderly Americans are particularly vulnerable to coercion and fraud; many campaigns already practice so called " granny farming " where campaign officials travel to senior citizen centers and "help" seniors vote for their candidate.

States that vote all by mail automatically send ballots to registered voters, but in many states poorly maintained voter rolls leave many people who have moved or died still "on the books," allowing fraudulent absentee ballots to be cast in ways that appear to be legitimate.

A court settlement forced California to remove up to 1.5 million ineligible voters from its rolls after they showed registration of 101% , in other words, there were more registered voters than adults living in the state.

This issue would only be exacerbated in a 100% vote by mail election; a 2010 MIT/CalTech study found that more than 16 million voter registrations in the U.S. are likely to be invalid.

EXISTING VOTE BY MAIL SYSTEMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN EXPLOITED TO TAMPER WITH ELECTION RESULTS

Yale Law Professor Heather Gerken : "All the evidence of stolen elections" involve vote by mail.

In Florida, absentee-ballot scandals arrive " like clockwork " around election time; in 2012, one woman was charged with forging an elderly voter's signature, a felony, and possessing 31 completed absentee ballots.

A judge invalidated the results of the 1997 Miami mayoral contest determining that officials connected with Xavier Suarez's campaign swayed election results with a "massive, well-conceived and well-orchestrated absentee ballot voter fraud scheme."

UNIVERSAL MAIL IN VOTING NOT ONLY INVITES FRAUD, BUT THE SYSTEM IS PLAGUED WITH ERRORS THAT UNDERMINE AMERICANS' CONFIDENCE IN THEIR VOTE AND CAUSE VOTERS TO BECOME DISENFRANCHISED

Mail in voting is more likely to produce ballots that are not counted; in 2008, millions of votes were lost because of issues with vote by mail and absentee voting.

Voters who mailed in their ballot are far less confident in the integrity of the voting process with only 57% very confident their vote was "counted as cast," compared to 74% of in person voters.

Voters from Oregon and Washington, the two states with virtually universal vote-by-mail, were the least confident their votes were counted as cast.

Voting by mail is problematic enough that election experts say there have been multiple elections in which no one can say with confidence which candidate was the deserved winner.

A high number of uncounted and compromised ballots leads to legal challenges that can stretch on for months as lawyers fight which mail-in ballots should count.

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT EXISTING UNIVERSAL VOTE BY MAIL SYSTEMS HAVE NOT DELIVERED RESULTS THEIR LIBERAL ARCHITECTS PROMISE

Vote by mail has, at best , a modest impact on turnout for low-profile elections, but there is almost no increase in turnout for state-wide and national elections.

Research has shown that though vote by mail systems increase levels of retention of those predisposed voters, they do not draw new voters into the system, therefore making them ineffective at increasing representation.

In fact, many studies have shown that voting by mail advantages rich voters and "appears to exacerbate existing inequalities in the American political system."

THE FLAWS OF A 100% VOTE BY MAIL SYSTEM ARE CLEAR, AND, IN THE PAST, EVEN THE DEMOCRAT PARTY AGREED WITH EXPERTS THAT RUSHING TO SUCH SYSTEMS WOULD BE DISASTROUS

Experts agree that voting by mail would not only compromise the security of our elections, but also present a massive disruption to the voting system.

The New York Times in 2012: "Voting In Person Is More Reliable."

In 2008, Barack Obama expressed concerns over states making a rushed conversion to an all-mail election saying it would be " problematic " for states that had never done so before.

In a recent ABC interview: Joe Biden expressed concern over a shift to vote by mail, other Democrats have also expressed concerns about a vote by mail system.

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DEMOCRATS WANT NATIONWIDE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT-MANDATED MEASURES THAT ELIMINATE SAFEGUARDS FOR MAIL IN VOTING INCLUDED IN THE NEXT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF PACKAGE

Democrats Want To Use The Next Round Of Coronavirus Relief Efforts To Force States to Rush A Transition to Mail In Voting And Make "Every American" Eligible To Vote By Mail

Democrats Want To Use The Next Round Of Coronavirus Relief "To Bolster Mail-In Voting." "Democrats want to bolster mail-in voting and take other steps to make balloting easier this November in the next round of congressional efforts to revive the economy and battle the coronavirus pandemic, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said." ( Real Clear Politics , 4/10/20)

As Part Of The Next Relief Package Democrats In Congress Have Been Pushing For Ballots To Be Mailed To Every Registered Voter For The November Election. "Democrats in Congress have been pushing for ballots to be mailed to every registered voter for the November election. Republicans have expressed little desire to require states to make any changes to their election process." ( Real Clear Politics , 4/10/20)

Sen. Elizabeth Warren Has Backed A Bill Co-Sponsored By Sens. Amy Klobuchar And Ron Wyden That Would Waive All Absentee Ballot Requirements Making "Every American Eligible To Vote By Mail ." "One obvious way to protect public health during this emergency is to allow - and encourage - Americans to submit ballots from home. Two-thirds of states already offer no-excuse absentee voting. Senators Klobuchar and Wyden have proposed the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020, a bill to give every eligible American the opportunity to vote by mail. The bill includes important protections to ensure these ballots are submitted, counted, and tracked. Congress should pass it immediately, and put in place protections to ensure that individuals who vote by mail don't have their ballots discounted or thrown out without justification." ( Medium , 4/7/20)

Transitioning To An All-Mail Voting System Would Be Disruptive And A Similar Transition In New Jersey Left Voters Confused And Discouraged.

MIT Professor Charles Stewart III Highlighted That Implementing An All Mail System By November "Is Going To Be Disruptive." "Charles Stewart III, a professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, expressed optimism that states could gear up to expand mail and absentee voting for the coming primary elections, which tend to have relatively low turnout. The November general election will be another matter, he said. 'I think that once people take a deep breath and consider what's going to be done in November, they're going to realize that the big lift necessary to expand the amount of mail voting by a factor of four, five or six in some states is going to be disruptive,' said Mr. Stewart, who studies both voting technology and election administration." ( The New York Times , 3/9/20)

When New Jersey Expanded Vote-By-Mail In 2018 It Sowed Confusion . "Letters sent out to explain a new law that automatically signs up some voters for vote-by-mail ballots are causing confusion across New Jersey. Some voters say they don't understand how they were signed up for vote-by-mail ballots, while others say the messages county clerks sent out may end up discouraging people from voting. 'With all of the accusations of voter suppression, we should be making it easier not harder,' said Jane Kleinman, a Red Bank voter who received one of the letters. 'It's creating confusion rather than clearing up confusion.'" ( Asbury Park Press , 9/13/18)

The United States Postal Service Is Conducting An Investigation Into Issues That Were Reported With The Delivery Of Absentee Ballots In The Wisconsin Primary Contest, Amid Issues With The Delivery Of Absentee Ballots. "The United States Postal Service is conducting an investigation into issues that were reported with the delivery of absentee ballots in Wisconsin, which held its primary election this week despite concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. The investigation comes after Wisconsin Sens. Ron Johnson, a Republican, and Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat, called on the USPS to look into claims absentee ballots that were requested ahead of the election but were never delivered or arrived only after the election had passed." ( USA Today , 4/10/20)

VOTE BY MAIL PRESENTS SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOTER FRAUD AND COMES AT "SIGNIFICANT COST TO THE REAL AND PERCEIVED INTEGRITY OF THE VOTING PROCESS"

Voting By Mail Is Less Secure And Presents More Opportunities For Voter Fraud

Election Officials Say Fraud In Voting By Mail Is "Vastly More Prevalent Than The In-Person Voting Fraud." "While fraud in voting by mail is far less common than innocent errors, it is vastly more prevalent than the in-person voting fraud that has attracted far more attention, election administrators say." ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

Yale Law Professor Heather Gerken: "All The Evidence Of Stolen Elections" Involve Vote By Mail. "Election law experts say that pulling off in-person voter fraud on a scale large enough to swing an election, with scores if not hundreds of people committing a felony in public by pretending to be someone else, is hard to imagine, to say nothing of exceptionally risky. There are much simpler and more effective alternatives to commit fraud on such a scale, said Heather Gerken, a law professor at Yale. 'You could steal some absentee ballots or stuff a ballot box or bribe an election administrator or fiddle with an electronic voting machine,' she said. That explains, she said, 'why all the evidence of stolen elections involves absentee ballots and the like.'" ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

Even Scholars Who Argue That Election Fraud Is Generally Rare Agree That Fraud With Voting By Mail Is More Frequent Than With In-Person Voting. "However, even many scholars who argue that fraud is generally rare agree that fraud with VBM voting seems to be more frequent than with in-person voting." ( MIT Election Lab , Accessed 4/7/20)

The CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project Recommends That States Abolish Voting By Mail Completely Because Of The "Significant Cost To The Real And Perceived Integrity Of The Voting Process." "Still, the CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project (2001, p. 41) recommends the following reform: Restrict or abolish on-demand absentee voting in favor of in-person early voting. The convenience that on-demand absentees produce is bought at a significant cost to the real and perceived integrity of the voting process. On the face of it, early voting can provide nearly equal convenience with significantly greater controls against fraud and coercion. Traditional absentee procedures for cause are still valuable for the limited situations they were originally intended for. States should return to those practices." ( Annual Review Of Political Science , 2/11/08)

A Team Of Experts That Included Professors From Harvard, MIT And Caltech Determined That "Having Tens Of Millions Of Ballots Being Transmitted And Marked Without Strict Chain-Of-Custody Procedures Creates Risks That Simply Do Not Exist With Any Form Of In-Person Voting." "It remains the case that having tens of millions of ballots being transmitted and marked without strict chain-of-custody procedures creates risks that simply do not exist with any form of in-person voting, whether on Election Day or in early-voting settings." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 2012)

3.9 Million Absentee Ballots Were Requested But Not Received By Voters In The 2008 Presidential Election . "In research reported by one of our team members last year, up to 3.9 million absentee ballots were requested but not received by voters in the 2008 presidential election; 2.9 million ballots that were transmitted to voters requesting them were not returned for counting." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 2012)

Voting By Mail Is Open To Fraud Because There Are Fewer Identity-Checking Provisions Included In The Process. "Voting by mail (including absentee balloting) is theoretically open to fraud because there are fewer identity-checking provisions included in the process: Voters need not present themselves in person to an official or poll worker and need not show identification of any kind, and signatures can be forged." ( Annual Review Of Political Science , 2/11/08)

The Majority Of Recent Voter Fraud Cases Have Relied On Absentee Ballots. "In the majority of these six recent cases, the fraud relied on absentee ballots, which can be filled out away from the prying eyes of election officials. The News21 database found 250 cases in which someone was convicted or admitted guilt in a case involving absentee ballots." ( The Washington Post , 10/1/12)

In North Carolina, Political Operative Leslie Dowless And 6 Associates Who Worked With Him On A 2018 Congressional Campaign Were Charged With A Number Of Felonies In Connection To The 2018 General Election Including Obstruction Of Justice, Perjury, Solicitation To Commit Perjury, Conspiracy To Obstruct Justice And Possession Of Absentee Ballot. "A Republican political operative who worked for former congressional candidate Mark Harris in rural Bladen County faces felony charges in connection with the 2018 general election, an indictment revealed Tuesday by the Wake County district attorney shows. Leslie McCrae Dowless was charged with two counts of felony obstruction of justice, perjury, solicitation to commit perjury, conspiracy to obstruct justice and possession of absentee ballot, the document showed … Six of Dowless' associates were also indicted and are expected to turn themselves in." ( The News & Observer , 7/30/19)

"A Republican political operative who worked for former congressional candidate Mark Harris in rural Bladen County faces felony charges in connection with the 2018 general election, an indictment revealed Tuesday by the Wake County district attorney shows. Leslie McCrae Dowless was charged with two counts of felony obstruction of justice, perjury, solicitation to commit perjury, conspiracy to obstruct justice and possession of absentee ballot, the document showed … Six of Dowless' associates were also indicted and are expected to turn themselves in." ( The News & Observer , 7/30/19) Dowless Was Previously Indicted On Charges Related To An Absentee Ballot Harvesting Operation He Allegedly Ran In Bladen County In 2016 And During The 2018 Primary. "Dowless was previously indicted on charges related to an absentee ballot harvesting operation he allegedly ran in Bladen County in 2016 and during the 2018 primary. His earlier charges include three counts of felonious obstruction of justice, two counts of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two counts of possession of an absentee ballot." ( The News & Observer , 7/30/19)

Mail In Ballots Make It "Much Easier" To Buy And Sell Votes

Absentee Ballots Make It Much Easier To Buy And Sell Votes . "The problem is not limited to the elderly, of course. Absentee ballots also make it much easier to buy and sell votes. In recent years, courts have invalidated mayoral elections in Illinois and Indiana because of fraudulent absentee ballots." ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

The Washington Post Headline (2012): "Selling Votes Is Common Type Of Election Fraud." ( The Washington Post , 10/1/12)

Georgia's Former Secretary Of State, Lewis Massey, Acknowledged There Is A "Long History Of Vote-Buying In The Rural South." "Lewis Massey, Georgia's Secretary of State, who oversees elections, said he was shocked by the magnitude of the wrongdoing in Dodge County, despite the long history of vote-buying in the rural South." ( The New York Times, 3/23/97)

The Washington Post : "It May Still Be Possible To Steal An American Election, If You Know The Right Way To Go About It," And Many Unscrupulous Actors Pay Absentee Voters, Fake Absentee Ballots And Even Bribe People At The Polls. "It may still be possible to steal an American election, if you know the right way to go about it. Recent court cases, from Appalachia to the Miami suburbs, have revealed the tricks of an underground trade: Conspirators allegedly bought off absentee voters, faked absentee ballots, and bribed people heading to the polls to vote one way or another." ( The Washington Post , 10/1/12)

Many Cases Of Absentee Voting Fraud Are Discovered Because Of Disparities Between The In Person And Absentee Vote Results, As Was The Case For Hudson Hallum, Who "Paid Absentee Voters With Cash, Whiskey And Vodka And At Least One Chicken Dinner;" This Would Not Be Possible In A Universal Vote By Mail System. "In West Memphis last year, prosecutors said Hudson Hallum, a Democrat running for the state legislature, paid absentee voters with cash, whiskey and vodka and at least one with a chicken dinner. Hallum won his primary by eight votes, after taking 85 percent of the absentee ballots, and went on to win the general election. But it looked fishy, and it didn't last. Hallum pleaded guilty and resigned his new seat in the state legislature last month." ( The Washington Post , 10/1/12)

Mail In Ballots Are "Fundamentally Not A Secret Ballot" And Therefore Voting By Mail Undermines Voter Protections And Provides Opportunities For People To Coerce Vulnerable Voters To Inappropriately Influence How They Vote

Voting by Mail Voting Eliminates The Oversight That Exists At Polling Places To Prevent Voter Intimidation And Other Interference; Judge Richard Posner Of 7th Circuit Explained That "Absentee Voting Is To Voting In Person As A Take-Home Exam Is To A Proctored One." "On the most basic level, absentee voting replaces the oversight that exists at polling places with something akin to an honor system. 'Absentee voting is to voting in person,' Judge Richard A. Posner of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has written, 'as a take-home exam is to a proctored one.'" ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

Without The Secrecy Ensured By The Polling Place Environment, Voters Are Vulnerable To Coercion By Employers, Campaigns Or Religious Institutions . "Coercion of votes is possible without the secrecy ensured by the polling place environment-by a spouse, a neighbor, a campaign worker, a church, or an employer, for example. However, whether such influence is occurring on a large scale is unknown." ( Annual Review Of Political Science , 2/11/08)

Voting By Mail Is "Fundamentally Not A Secret Ballot" And Therefore Provides Opportunities For People Who Would Like To Coerce Vulnerable Individuals To Inappropriately Influence How They Vote . "The first two concerns, while different in concept, are rooted in the observation that voting by mail is fundamentally not a secret ballot. Concerns continue to be expressed that voting methods that rely on the mails provide opportunities for people who would like to coerce vulnerable individuals-family members, employees, and institutionalized populations-to inappropriately influence how they vote." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 2012)

Voting By Mail Makes It Easier To Coerce Voters; In 2010, For Instance, Jerry Bowman, The Sheriff Of Lincoln County, W.Va., Simply Showed Up At People's Homes And Told Them Whom To Vote For In Local Democratic Primary Races On Their Absentee Ballots. "In 2010, for instance, Jerry Bowman, the sheriff of Lincoln County, W.Va., simply showed up at people's homes and told them whom to vote for in local Democratic primary races. In some cases, he just filled out the ballot, according to a 'stipulation of facts' that Bowman signed. Bowman didn't pay a cent, prosecutors say. Apparently, having the sheriff in one's home was motivation enough for many voters. 'You can't go into the voting booth with them, to see how they voted,' said Booth Goodwin, the U.S. attorney for southern West Virginia. 'But in this one, you could sit right at their kitchen table' and be sure, he said." ( The Washington Post , 10/1/12)

Exerting Undue Influence Over Voters Is "A Crime That Is Particularly Well-Suited To Voting By Mail." "Most involve allegations of undue influence -- a crime that is particularly well-suited to voting by mail. It is illegal in most states for campaign workers to come within 100 feet of a polling place on Election Day, to prevent them from telling a voter which candidate to choose. But it's much tougher to police the law when a voter's home becomes the polling place and there is no single Election Day, as is the case with voting by mail. Since there is no booth to provide privacy, an unethical campaign worker can also monitor the ballot-marking and ensure a sales pitch isn't wasted." ( The Wall Street Journal , 12/19/00)

Elderly Americans Are Particularly Vulnerable To Coercion And Fraud And Many Campaigns Already Practice So Called "Granny Farming" Where Campaign Officials Travel To Senior Citizen Centers And "Help" Seniors Vote For Their Candidate

A Central Weakness Of Voting By Mail Is Something Election Administrators Call "Granny Farming," Referring To Campaign Officials Who Go To Senior Citizen Centers And Collect Absentee Ballots On The Pretense Of "Helping" Them Vote Absentee. "Election administrators have a shorthand name for a central weakness of voting by mail. They call it granny farming 'The problem,' said Murray A. Greenberg, a former county attorney in Miami, 'is really with the collection of absentee ballots at the senior citizen centers.' In Florida, people affiliated with political campaigns 'help people vote absentee,' he said. 'And help is in quotation marks.'" ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

Voters In Nursing Homes Can Be Subjected To Subtle Pressure, Intimidation And Even Outright Fraud As The Secrecy Of Their Voting Is Easily Compromised And Ballots Can Be Intercepted Both Coming And Going. "Voters in nursing homes can be subjected to subtle pressure, outright intimidation or fraud. The secrecy of their voting is easily compromised. And their ballots can be intercepted both coming and going." ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

Increases In Remote Voting Has Provided New Opportunities To Cheat And As A Result It Has Spawned A "Mini-Industry Of Consultants Who Get Out The Absentee Vote, Sometimes Using Questionable Techniques." "Incidents such as these illustrate a little-publicized downside to the nationwide surge in absentee voting. In an attempt to increase voter participation, many states have liberalized vote-by-mail laws. But they also have loosened already tenuous safeguards against fraud. With old-style ballot-box stuffing impractical these days, election-law experts say, the growth of absentee voting has provided new opportunities to cheat. It has also spawned a mini-industry of consultants who get out the absentee vote, sometimes using questionable techniques. In some parts of Texas, they are known as politiqueras, roughly translated as vote brokers." ( The Wall Street Journal , 12/19/00)

The Elderly Are Prime Targets For Campaigns Looking To Influence Mail-In Voters Because They Are Viewed As Easier To Manipulate. "Predictably, the elderly are prime targets, both because states are more likely to give them mail-in voting privileges and because they are viewed as easier to manipulate. 'Just as they are victims of a number of scams and con games, they can also fall victim to voter fraud,' says Hugh Cochran, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent in Miami who now investigates absentee fraud for private clients." ( The Wall Street Journal , 12/19/00)

More States That Vote By Mail Automatically Send Ballots To Registered Voters, But Poorly Maintained Voter Rolls Around The Country Would Make Doing So On A National Scale Logistically Difficult And Ripe For Fraud

In Many States, The Voter Rolls Are Not Updated In A Timely Or Efficient Way, Leaving Many People Who Have Moved Out Of The County Or Are Deceased "On The Books," Allowing Fraudulent Absentee Ballots To Be Cast In Ways That Appear To Be Legitimate. "In many states, the voter rolls are not updated in a timely or efficient way, leaving many people who have moved out of the county or are deceased still 'on the books.' This allows fraudulent absentee ballots to be cast in ways that appear to be legitimate, as in the 1997 Miami mayoral election (Harris 1999), a 1996 contest in Orange County, California, and the 2000 results in St. Louis, Missouri (Demos 2006)." ( Annual Review Of Political Science , 2/11/08)

L.A. County And The Rest Of California Were Forced To Review And Update Their Voter Rolls To Eliminate Inactive Registrations After A Court Settlement Group Was Found Not In Compliance With Federal Election Law. "Los Angeles County has started the process of removing from its registration rolls an estimated 1.5 million inactive voters who have moved, died or become ineligible to cast a ballot, an effort to comply with federal election law and a court settlement with Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog … In addition, California's top election official has put all 58 of its counties on notice that they must also purge inactive voters from their rosters. The updated California National Voter Registration Act Manual, published in March 2019, lays out the federal maintenance requirements for county voter rolls." ( Real Clear Politics , 6/20/19)

California's Voter Rolls Were So Out Of Date That It Had More Voter Registrations Than It Has Citizens. "Inactive registrations, for the most part, occur when voters move to another country or state or pass away but remain on the rolls. The lawsuit alleged that Los Angeles County, with its more than 10 million residents, has more voter registrations than it has citizens old enough to register, with a registration rate of 112% of its adult citizen population. The entire state had a registration rate of 101% of age-eligible citizens, the lawsuit said, citing U.S. Election Assistance Commission data." ( Real Clear Politics , 6/20/19

A 2012 CalTech/MIT Study Found That 8.7% Of Registered U.S. Voter Registrations, More Than 16 Million, Are Estimated To Be Invalid. "Of the 185,445,103 listed registration records in the United States, 16,130,325 are estimated to be invalid." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 7/14/10)

More Than 7 Million Voter Registrations Contain A Mailing Address That Is Likely To Be Undeliverable. "1 in 25 records contains a mailing address that is likely to be undeliverable because of a typo, a street that no longer exists, or poor penmanship on registration applications." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 7/14/10)

"1 in 25 records contains a mailing address that is likely to be undeliverable because of a typo, a street that no longer exists, or poor penmanship on registration applications." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 7/14/10) Nearly 2 Million Registered Voters Are Dead. "1 in 100 listed registrants is likely to be deceased." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 7/14/10)

EXISTING VOTE BY MAIL SYSTEMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN EXPLOITED TO TAMPER WITH ELECTION RESULTS

Many Candidates Have Already Sued Mail In Voting And Absentee Ballots To Try And Tamper With Election Results

In Florida, Absentee-Ballot Scandals Arrive "Like Clockwork" Around Election Time; In 2012, One Woman Was Charged With Forging An Elderly Voter's Signature, A Felony, And Possessing 31 Completed Absentee Ballots. "In Florida, absentee-ballot scandals seem to arrive like clockwork around election time. Before this year's primary, for example, a woman in Hialeah was charged with forging an elderly voter's signature, a felony, and possessing 31 completed absentee ballots, 29 more than allowed under a local law." ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

In 2011, A Florida School Board Member Was Arrested On Charges Including Absentee Ballot Fraud, The Board Member Had 217 Absentee Votes To Her Opponent's 86 And Officials Said That 80 Absentee Ballots Had Been Requested At Just Nine Addresses. "Last November, Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, suspended a school board member in Madison County, not far from here, after she was arrested on charges including absentee ballot fraud. The board member, Abra Hill Johnson, won the school board race 'by what appeared to be a disproportionate amount of absentee votes,' the arrest affidavit said. The vote was 675 to 647, but Ms. Johnson had 217 absentee votes to her opponent's 86. Officials said that 80 absentee ballots had been requested at just nine addresses. Law enforcement agents interviewed 64 of the voters whose ballots were sent; only two recognized the address." ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

A Judge Invalidated The Results Of The 1997 Miami Mayoral Contest Determining That Officials Connected Xavier Suarez's Campaign Swayed Election Results With A "Massive, Well-Conceived And Well-Orchestrated Absentee Ballot Voter Fraud Scheme." "Judge Wilson found that Mr. Hernandez's district was 'the center of a massive, well-conceived and well-orchestrated absentee ballot voter fraud scheme.'" ( The New York Times , 3/5/98)

The Judge Determined That Absentee Ballots Cast In The Election Included Those From People Who Did Not Vote, Did Not Live In Miami Or The District In Which Their Ballot Was Cast, And Some Ballots Had Even Been Doctored. "In his written decision the judge said the absentee ballots cast in the election included those from people who did not vote, did not live in Miami or the district in which their ballot was cast, and did not qualify as unable to vote at the polls. Several ballots were even doctored to alter a vote for Mr. Carollo into one for Mr. Suarez, the judge noted." ( The New York Times , 3/5/98)

"In his written decision the judge said the absentee ballots cast in the election included those from people who did not vote, did not live in Miami or the district in which their ballot was cast, and did not qualify as unable to vote at the polls. Several ballots were even doctored to alter a vote for Mr. Carollo into one for Mr. Suarez, the judge noted." ( The New York Times , 3/5/98) Dozens Of People, Many Who Worked For Mayor Suarez's Campaign, Were Arrested In Connection With A Yearlong Inquiry Into Voter Fraud After Courts Found That Hundreds Of Fraudulent Mail In Ballots Had Swayed The Result Of The 1997 Miami Mayoral Contest. "The arrests today bring to 36 the number of people charged in a yearlong inquiry into voter fraud that has propelled Miami into the national spotlight as a city rife with corruption and political influence-peddling. Coming just six days before Election Day, the arrests were characterized by officials as a warning that election fraud would not be tolerated. The 18 people arrested today had turned themselves in and were later released on their own recognizance, after being charged with the other 3. Law-enforcement officials were searching for the remaining three. Many of those arrested worked in the campaign of the former Miami Mayor Xavier L. Suarez, who was ousted this year. Mr. Suarez defeated Joe Carollo in a Nov. 11 runoff election that was forced by hundreds of absentee ballots cast for Mr. Suarez in the first round. In March, Mr. Carollo, a former Mayor, returned to his post after state courts held that many absentee ballots were fraudulent." ( The New York Times . 10/29/98)

In 1996, The Results Of Two Dodge County GA Elections Were Thrown Out By State Courts After They Found "Gross Irregularities." "In August and September, the results of the July elections for the all-powerful positions of sheriff and sole county commissioner were thrown out by state court judges, who found evidence of gross irregularities. New elections were held last month, strictly monitored by state and Federal agents." ( The New York Times, 3/23/97)

In The Sheriff Election, The Incumbent Won The Original Vote With An Outsized Portion Of The Mail-In Vote And Lost The Recount When Officials Ran A Second, Closely Monitored Election. "The incumbent sheriff of 30 years, T. Jackson Jones, lost the second election after winning the first contest by six votes. The victor, Theo M. Parkerson, who had been Mr. Jones's chief deputy for 23 years, suffered a heart attack only 23 days after taking office. He remains hospitalized. Investigators were struck that Mr. Jones lost the Election Day voting by 589 votes out of 6,437 cast but won the absentee balloting by 595 votes out of 1,493 cast. Many of the absentee voters were assisted in voting by supporters of various candidates after claiming that they could not read (sometimes despite high school or college degrees) or that they suffered from physical maladies (one saying he had been kicked in the head by a mule)." ( The New York Times, 3/23/97)

"The incumbent sheriff of 30 years, T. Jackson Jones, lost the second election after winning the first contest by six votes. The victor, Theo M. Parkerson, who had been Mr. Jones's chief deputy for 23 years, suffered a heart attack only 23 days after taking office. He remains hospitalized. Investigators were struck that Mr. Jones lost the Election Day voting by 589 votes out of 6,437 cast but won the absentee balloting by 595 votes out of 1,493 cast. Many of the absentee voters were assisted in voting by supporters of various candidates after claiming that they could not read (sometimes despite high school or college degrees) or that they suffered from physical maladies (one saying he had been kicked in the head by a mule)." ( The New York Times, 3/23/97) FBI Agent Glynn Meeks: Vote Buying "Has Been Going On Here For Quite Some Time, And There's A Side That Thinks It's Nothing Wrong, That It's A Way Of Life." "'This type of activity has been going on here for quite some time, and there's a side that thinks it's nothing wrong, that it's a way of life,' said Glynn Meeks, the special agent in charge of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's office in Eastman, the seat of this small, rural county in middle Georgia. 'Some of them can't wait till they turn 18 so they can get paid to vote.'" ( The New York Times, 3/23/97)

A Federal Grand Jury Indicted 21 Dodge County Residents For A Variety Of Illegal Voting Practices, At The Time It Was The Largest Number Ever Indicted At One Time In A Federal Vote-Buying Conspiracy. "Last month, a Federal grand jury indicted 21 Dodge County residents for a variety of illegal voting practices, the largest number ever indicted at one time in a Federal vote-buying conspiracy, said John K. Russell, a Justice Department spokesman. Three other people have been named as unindicted co-conspirators." ( The New York Times, 3/23/97)

MAIL IN VOTING NOT ONLY INVITES FRAUD BUT THE SYSTEM IS PLAGUED WITH ERRORS THAT UNDERMINE AMERICANS CONFIDENCE IN THEIR VOTE

Mail In Voting Is More Likely To Produce Ballots That Are Not Counted; In 2008, Millions Of Votes Were Lost Because Of Issues With Vote By Mail And Absentee Voting

While Errors Made By Voters At A Polling Places Can Often Be Fixed, Ones Made On Mailed Ballots Are Often Irreversible . "Errors made at a polling place can often be remedied, but ones made on a mailed ballot are often irretrievable." ( The New York Times , 10/6/12)

In 2008, One In 30 Absentee Ballots Was Rejected By Officials Because Of Errors In Completing The Form. "About one out of every 30 absentee ballots was rejected by officials in Minnesota in 2008. Here is why." ( The New York Times , 10/6/12)

Evidence Shows That Voting By Mail Is More Likely To Produce Ballots That Are Not Counted . "The available evidence suggests that absentee voting is more prone than in-person voting to producing residual votes. For instance, members of the VTP team used two decades of data from California to compare in person and absentee residual vote rates. This study found that the residual vote rate for absentee voters has been 2.2 percentage points higher in presidential races, 3.3 points higher in gubernatorial races, 4.9 points higher in U.S. Senate elections, and 3.0 points higher on ballot propositions than for in-person voters." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 2012)

The CalTech/MIT Voter Technology Project Estimated That Between 4 And 6 Million Votes Were Lost In The 2000 Election Because Of Problems With Absentee And Voting By Mail . "While the VTP at that time was unable to put a precise estimate on the number of votes that were lost in 2000 because of problems with absentee and voting by mail, we estimated that overall between 4 and 6 million votes were lost in that election." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 7/13/16)

In The 2008 Minnesota Senate Race, Al Franken Won By 312 Votes, While State Officials Rejected 12,000 Absentee Ballots. "The list of very close elections includes the 2008 Senate race in Minnesota, in which Mr. Franken's victory over Mr. Coleman, the Republican incumbent, helped give Democrats the 60 votes in the Senate needed to pass President Obama's health care bill. Mr. Franken won by 312 votes, while state officials rejected 12,000 absentee ballots. Recent primary elections in New York involving Republican state senators who had voted to allow same-sex marriage also hinged on absentee ballots." ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

In The 2008 Presidential Election, 800,000 Returned Absentee Ballots Were Rejected For Counting . "800,000 returned absentee ballots were rejected for counting." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 2012)

In The 2008 Presidential Election, Nearly 1 In 4 Requested Absentee Ballots Fell Through The Cracks Before Counting Even Began. "Thus, 35.5 million requests for absentee ballots led to 27.9 million mail-in ballots being counted. This suggests that 7.6 million absentee ballots-21% of all requests-leaked out of the system before counting even began." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 2012)

Voters Who Mailed In Their Ballot Are Far Less Confident In The Integrity Of The Voting Process With Only 57% Are Very Confident Their Vote Was "Counted As Cast," Compared To 74% Of In Person Voters

Voters Who Voted By Mail Are Far Less Confident That Their Vote Was Counted, Only 57% Of Americans Who Voted By Mail In The 2008 Elections Are "Very Confident" Their Vote Was Counted As Cast, Compared To 74% Of In Person Voters. "Immediately following the 2008 election, the VTP team, funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, conducted the first national survey that focused on election administration, called the Survey of the Performance of American Elections (SPAE). One of the questions asked in that survey was 'How confident are you that your ballot was counted as cast?' Among those who voted by mail, 57% answered 'very confident,' compared with 74% of those who voted Election Day." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 2012)

Voters From Oregon And Washington, The Two States With Virtually Universal Vote-By-Mail, Were The Least Confident Voters Across The Nation That Their Votes Were Counted As Cast . "Voters from Oregon and Washington, the two states with virtually universal vote-by-mail, were the least confident voters across the nation that their votes were counted as cast." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 2012)

PROBLEMS IN COUNTING MAIL IN BALLOTS ARE SO SEVERE THAT IT IS OFTEN IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE AN ELECTION RESULT, LEADING TO LENGTHY LEGAL CHALLENGES

Voting By Mail Is Problematic Enough That Election Experts Say There Have Been Multiple Elections In Which No One Can Say With Confidence Which Candidate Was The Deserved Winner

Voting By Mail Is Problematic Enough That Election Experts Say There Have Been Multiple Elections In Which No One Can Say With Confidence Which Candidate Was The Deserved Winner. "Voting by mail is now common enough and problematic enough that election experts say there have been multiple elections in which no one can say with confidence which candidate was the deserved winner. The list includes the 2000 presidential election, in which problems with absentee ballots in Florida were a little-noticed footnote to other issues." ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

Such A Muddled Outcome Leads To Lengthy Legal Challenges That Can Stretch On For Months As Lawyers Fight Over Mail-In Ballots

Votes Cast By Mail Are Less Likely To Be Counted, More Likely To Be Compromised And More Likely To Be Contested Than Those Cast In A Voting Booth. "Yet votes cast by mail are less likely to be counted, more likely to be compromised and more likely to be contested than those cast in a voting booth, statistics show. Election officials reject almost 2 percent of ballots cast by mail, double the rate for in-person voting." ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

Election Experts Say The Challenges Created By Mailed Ballots Can Affect Election Outcomes, Particularly In Races With Narrow Margins Where Lawyers Will Fight Over Which Ballots Are Counted. "Election experts say the challenges created by mailed ballots could well affect outcomes this fall and beyond. If the contests next month are close enough to be within what election lawyers call the margin of litigation, the grounds on which they will be fought will not be hanging chads but ballots cast away from the voting booth." ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

The Formalities Associated With Mail In Ballots Make Them Vulnerable To Legal Challenges That Care Draw Out Races For Months. "The formalities associated with absentee ballots make them ripe for a challenge, especially in close races-lessons learned painfully twice in recent years in the state of Minnesota, which endured months-long disputes in the aftermaths of the 2008 and 2010 general elections." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 2012)

The Heavy Use Of Mail Leaves A Large Number Of Ballots Uncounted Until After Election Day And Thus Likely To Be Challenged In Close Election . "The heavy use of mail and provisional ballots leaves a large number of ballots uncounted until after Election Day - and thus likely to be challenged by the candidates if there is a recount." ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 7/13/6)

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT EXISTING VOTE BY MAIL SYSTEMS HAVE NOT DELIVERED THE RESULTS THEIR LIBERAL ARCHITECTS PROMISE

Vote By Mail Has, At Best, A Modest Impact On Turnout For Low-Profile Elections, But There Is Almost No Increase In Turnout For State Wide And National Elections

Though Vote By Mail Increases Turnout In Local Elections "It Does Not Seem To Have Had Much Impact On Turnout In Federal Ones." "Its availability may also increase turnout in local elections, though it does not seem to have had much impact on turnout in federal ones." ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

Evidence Suggests That The Impact Of Reforms Like Vote By Mail Are Greater In Lower-Intensity Contests. "Some suggestive evidence, but not many empirical results, shows that voters use convenience voting procedures differently across election contexts-in particular, that the impact of convenience reforms is greater in lower-intensity contests." ( Annual Review Of Political Science , 2/11/08)

Research Concludes That Convenience Voting Reforms Like Vote By Mail Have Little Impact On Turnout. "In general, the research concludes that convenience voting has a small but statistically significant impact on turnout, with most estimates of the increase in the 2%-4% range." ( Annual Review Of Political Science , 2/11/08)

Contrary To Expectations That Convenience Voting Reforms Like Vote By Mail Dramatically Increases Turnout, Most Estimates Are That These Reforms Have, At Best, A Marginal Impact On Voter Participation . "In summary, convenience voting lowers the cost of turnout, but unequally across different groups in the population. Contrary to expectations that convenience voting reforms would dramatically increase turnout, most estimates are that these reforms have, at best, a marginal, though statistically significant, impact on voter participation" ( Annual Review Of Political Science , 2/11/08)

Research Has Shown That, Though Vote By Mail Systems Increase Levels Of Retention Of Those Predisposed Voters, They Do Not Draw New Voters Into The System, Therefore Making Ineffective At Increasing Representation

Reforms Like Vote By Mail Retain Voters Who Might Otherwise Not Choose To Vote In A Lower-Level Contest, But They Do Not Draw New Voters Into The System. "These reforms retain voters who might otherwise not choose to vote in a lower-level contest, but they do not draw new voters into the system." ( Annual Review Of Political Science , 2/11/08)

A 2013 MIT Study Found That Voting By Mail Will Disproportionately Increase Levels Of Retention Of Those Predisposed Voters, Rather Than Recruitment Of New Ones Making It Ineffective In Increasing Representation In The Voting Population. "Specifically, the findings in this paper strongly support the findings that measures aimed at increasing rates of registration for VBM will disproportionately increase levels of retention of those predisposed voters, rather than recruitment of new ones. Thus, those who hope to increase the representativeness of voting populations may do well to focus on education campaigns tailored more specifically for low propensity voters, since blanket campaigns to make voting more convenient seem to largely make the act more convenient for those who will vote either way." ( Education Law Journal , 8/13)

In Fact, Many Studies Have Shown That Voting By Mail Advantages Rich Voters And "Appears To Exacerbate Existing Inequalities In The American Political System"

A 2001 Study By MIT Professor Adam Berinsky Found That Vote By Mail Advantages The Resource-Rich By Keeping Them In The Electorate And Does Little To Change The Behavior Of The Resource-Poor. In short "Contrary to the expectations of many reformers, VBM advantages the resource-rich by keeping them in the electorate, and VBM does little to change the behavior of the resource-poor. In short, VBM increases turnout, but it does so without making the electorate more descriptively representative of the voting-age population." ( American Association Of Public Opinion Research , 6/1/01)

Multiple Studies Have Found Evidence That Voting By Mail Contributes To Socio-Economic Gaps In Turnout. "Furthermore, some scholars have found that pernicious effects may result from the institution of VBM. Berinsky, for instance, found evidence across multiple studies that VBM may contribute to widening socio-economic gaps in turnout, such that more educated, older, higher-income, and Caucasian voters would enjoy higher rates of turnout owing to VBM (Berinsky 2005)." ( Education Law Journal , 8/13)

Vote By Mail "Appears To Exacerbate Existing Inequalities In The American Political System." "More importantly, perhaps, convenience voting appears to exacerbate existing inequalities in the American political system, encouraging participation among those segments of the population who are already most likely to vote." ( Annual Review Of Political Science , 2/11/08)

Mail Voting Doesn't Work Well For Everyone; Some Americans Live In Places With Unreliable Mail Service, May Not Have A Fixed Address To Receive Mail, Or Change Addresses Frequently, Which Can Lead To Issues Regarding Getting Materials On Time. "Mail voting doesn't work well for everyone. Some Americans live in places with unreliable mail service, may not have a fixed address to receive mail, or change addresses frequently, which can lead to issues regarding getting materials on time. Voters with disabilities or who need language assistance may prefer the options offered at in-person polling sites." ( The Wall Street Journal , 4/8/20)

THE FLAWS OF A 100% VOTE BY MAIL SYSTEM ARE CLEAR, AND, IN THE PAST, EVEN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AGREED WITH EXPERTS THAT RUSHING TO SUCH A SYSTEM WOULD BE DISASTROUS

Experts Agree That Voting By Mail Would Not Only Compromise The Security Of Our Elections, But Also Present A Massive Disruption To The Voting System

The New York Times : "Voting In Person Is More Reliable." "Still, voting in person is more reliable, particularly since election administrators made improvements to voting equipment after the 2000 presidential election." ( The New York Times , 10/5/12)

A Team Of Experts From The CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project Called Increased Interest In Vote By Mail "Troubling" As Remote Voting Has Much Increased Risk Of Vote-Selling And Voter Coercion . "On the other hand, the following are troubling negative trends: » Apparent increased interest in vote-by-mail and Internet voting. (In general, remote voting has much increased risk of vote-selling and voter coercion.)" ( CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project , 2012)

MIT Professor Charles Stewart III: "The Big Lift Necessary To Expand The Amount Of Mail Voting By A Factor Of Four, Five Or Six In Some States Is Going To Be Disruptive." "Charles Stewart III, a professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, expressed optimism that states could gear up to expand mail and absentee voting for the coming primary elections, which tend to have relatively low turnout. The November general election will be another matter, he said. "I think that once people take a deep breath and consider what's going to be done in November, they're going to realize that the big lift necessary to expand the amount of mail voting by a factor of four, five or six in some states is going to be disruptive,' said Mr. Stewart, who studies both voting technology and election administration." ( The New York Times , 3/9/20)

In 2008, Barack Obama Expressed Concerns Over States Converting To An All-Mail Election Saying It Would Be "Problematic" For States That Had Never Done So Before

In 2008, Then Candidate Barrack Obama, Stated That Any Revote For Michigan And Florida Would Be Problematic If Conducted Specifically By Mail. "Mr. Obama's did not spell out his Plan B, but he said that any revote would be problematic, particularly if conducted by mail in Michigan and Florida, two states that have never conducted a mail-in election. He said he would like to see the Michigan and Florida delegations seated in an 'equitable' way, without spelling out what that would mean." ( The New York Times , 3/12/08)

In 2008, Then Candidate Barrack Obama, Indicated That Any Revote For Michigan And Florida Would Be Problematic If Conducted Specifically By Mail Saying “We Would Have To Figure Out Whether This Was Fraud- Proof. CHRIS MATTHEWS: “Very last question. There`s word from Florida that they intend to put out a mailing sort of a campaign -- I mean, an election process, whereby they make up for the primary they had before, which was ruled out of order by the Democratic National Committee and you did not campaign in. They`re talking about mailing it -- people mailing in their ballots. Do you trust the security, the honesty of such an election process?” SENATOR BARACK OBAMA: “Well, I think we would have to figure out whether this was fraud- proof. I mean, Oregon, for example, has a terrific mail-in system, but they`ve already scanned everybody`s signatures who`s registered to vote so that they can check to make sure that in fact the right people are voting.” And that`s something that I think you`d have to figure out. But our general view has been that we`ve just played by the rules throughout. We were told that Michigan and Florida wouldn`t count, and so we said we wouldn`t campaign there. Senator Clinton said the same thing, that they wouldn`t count. Now, her campaign is suggesting that they should. What we want to do is to make sure that the Florida and the Michigan folks are seated, but to do so in an equitable way. And whatever system the Democratic National Committee comes up with that is fair and equitable but also makes sure that the votes of people in Michigan and Florida are dealt with, we`re going to be open to that. We want to make sure that they`re seated as well.” (MSNBC’s “Hardball” 3/11/08)

Other Democrats, Including Former Vice President Joe Biden, Have Expressed Concerns About A Vote By Mail System

Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), Said That "A Mail In Election Would Raise Significant Issues Of Fraud." "Representative Robert Wexler, an Obama backer, said recently: 'A mail-in election would raise significant issues of fraud - especially in this short window - and such an election could disenfranchise many Floridians by disproportionately limiting voting access to seniors, minority voters, young voters, lower income voters, new voters, and new residents.'" ( Wonkette , 3/13/08)

In 2008, The Florida Democratic Delegation Rejected The Idea Of A Mail Election. "Senator Bill Nelson, Democrat of Florida, has proposed a mail-in contest, but the entire Florida Democratic Congressional delegation rejected it, saying it was impractical to rerun the January primary." ( The New York Times , 3/12/08)

Former Vice President Joe Biden: Voting By Mail "Is Not The Preferred Route" For Everyone. JOE BIDEN: "It's time we start thinking about how we're going to hold elections, whether we're going have to to - and spend a lot of time figuring whether we do is it going to mostly be by mail, which is not the preferred route for everyone. (ABC's "This Week" 4/5/20)

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