04-13-2020, 10:00 AM
ID and citizenship verification are provided when the person registers to vote, Mags.
Then the absentee ballot is mailed to the person (automatically in some states and by-request in others).
Most states allow 'no-excuse needed' absentee ballots, but some states still require the person to provide a reason why he/she can't vote in-person in order to be granted an absentee ballot.
In any case, there's an affidavit page at the end the ballot for the voter's legal signature which is compared to the signature obtained during registration. If there's a discrepancy, the ballot is put aside. In some locations, election officials attempt to contact the voter if the signature is questionable, in others the votes don't get counted.
There's room for problems and corruption with the signature verification process (and my signature isn't always the same). I think attention to the number of votes not counted due to signature discrepancies should be audited/monitored closely by election officials.
Anyway, moving to 'no excuse needed' and automatically-mailed absentee ballots across all 50 states is the way to go, in my opinion. But, as Duchess pointed out, it would require additional funding and resources for the U.S. Post Office.
Then the absentee ballot is mailed to the person (automatically in some states and by-request in others).
Most states allow 'no-excuse needed' absentee ballots, but some states still require the person to provide a reason why he/she can't vote in-person in order to be granted an absentee ballot.
In any case, there's an affidavit page at the end the ballot for the voter's legal signature which is compared to the signature obtained during registration. If there's a discrepancy, the ballot is put aside. In some locations, election officials attempt to contact the voter if the signature is questionable, in others the votes don't get counted.
There's room for problems and corruption with the signature verification process (and my signature isn't always the same). I think attention to the number of votes not counted due to signature discrepancies should be audited/monitored closely by election officials.
Anyway, moving to 'no excuse needed' and automatically-mailed absentee ballots across all 50 states is the way to go, in my opinion. But, as Duchess pointed out, it would require additional funding and resources for the U.S. Post Office.