What is ‘voting by mail?’

While the process can vary state by state, the term voting by mail (VBM) refers to the ability to request an absentee ballot be sent to a registered voter's home, generally about a month before an election. The voter fills it out at home, and then sends it to the voting authorities of the state. Some states have requirements for signatures on the sealed envelope, and others have a barcode system so that a voter could track their ballot. In Illinois, the ballot is signed, dated, sealed and mailed in or dropped off at a polling place or local election office. Due to the extra time of processing votes by mail, voters may not know who wins on election night.

Why can’t we just use ‘socially distant’ in-person voting?

Social distancing is very difficult to successfully implement given how the US manages in-person voting. Election day voting often means long lines, crowded rooms, and shared pens or touch screens. It also requires the need for election judges willing to risk their health to both administer the election and keep people safe, which may be difficult to accomplish with large crowds. While many states allow early voting, most people cast their in-person vote on election day which creates unavoidable crowding, increasing the potential spread of COVID-19.

Isn’t voting by mail already happening?

Yes. Five states currently run their elections primarily by vote by mail. In 28 states and Washington, DC, voters are able to request a ‘no-excuse’ absentee ballot. In some of these states, such as California and Arizona, the majority of the population currently vote from home by mail. Most of the remaining states require voters to have a reason to request an absentee ballot, such as illness or travel. In those states, new laws would have to be enacted to allow for wider access to vote by mail. Illinois recently passed a measure to expand vote from home access for the November 3rd election.

What is a ‘no-excuse’ absentee voting?

This means that anyone can request an absentee ballot to vote-by-mail—there is no need to have an excuse such as travel or illness to get a ballot to vote remotely. Illinois is a ‘no-excuse’ state.

What is happening in Illinois regarding vote by mail?

In May 2020, the Illinois House and Senate voted to expand vote by mail in Illinois and declare election day (Nov. 3rd) a state holiday and Governor Pritzker signed it into law on June 16, 2020. The law states that voters who have voted in the past two years will be automatically sent an application to request a vote by mail ballot. In Dupage County, ALL registered voters will receive an application. Voters who don’t opt to vote by mail can still vote in person during early voting and on election day. This measure covers only the November, 2020 election, but may become permanent.

What are important dates in Illinois for vote by mail?

• ●  In DuPage County, you can request a vote by mail NOW.

• ●  All requests by mail must be received by the Election Authority by 10/29/2020.

• ●  All in-person early voting requests must be made by 11/2/2020.

• ●  Mail in ballots must be postmarked by 11/3 and arrive within 14 days.

• ●  Voting early is also an option in Illinois if a voter prefers to cast their ballot in person butwants to avoid election day crowds. Early voting is open in most areas 40 days prior to the election. Check your local voting governance website for more information on early voting locations. In Dupage County, the ​Election Division​ posts early in-person voting sites.

• ●  Get more information on voting in Illinois at ​elections.il.gov/​.

  How can I request an absentee ballot in Illinois?

  For more information and to request your vote by mail ballot​ after 8/5/2020​, visit the website for the Illinois State Board of Elections​. If you voted in the past two years, or registered to vote since the March primaries, you will automatically receive an application in the mail at the address where you are registered to vote. If you are not yet registered to vote, you can do so​ here.

  What are the benefits of voting by mail?

• ●  Voting by mail allows greater access to voting for a wider population, particularly in our current global health crisis. VBM has been seen to increase voter turnout.

• ●  Voting remotely is safer for everyone, limiting exposure to disease, and eliminating travel, which may be an issue for the elderly and those with disabilities.

• ●  VBM allows those who work to have the chance to vote outside a regular work day.

• ●  Voting by mail from home also allows the chance for a voter to do additional research on candidates than they might be able to do if confronted with an unfamiliar name at the ballot box.

• ●  VBM may also save money for communities given the need for fewer polling places and staff.

What are the main concerns regarding voting by mail?

• ●  Not everyone has a permanent address and some people can be transitory and move often. Voter registration logs are often out of date, so applications or ballots can arrive at the wrong address.

• ●  Many states are currently ill-equipped to manage a larger vote by mail effort. Upgrading their systems and processes will take time and sufficient budget appropriation.

• ●  There are some concerns about potential coercion for a voter to vote a certain way by family members, employers or others.

• ●  Most strident opposition to VBM suggests the potential larger scale fraud given the transmission of the vote takes place outside of a monitored polling place. However, voting fraud has also been seen with in-person voting as well (e.g. hacked machines) so this concern is broader than VBM specifically.

• ●  The nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice has ​written about the prevalence​ of fraud in vote by mail, and suggest ways to manage VBM risk.

  How prevalent is fraud in vote by mail?

  Absentee ballot fraud is very rare. There have been a few public cases of this kind of voter fraud, but the incidence is very small and the fraud has been detected. A ​study from MIT ​indicated that absentee ballot fraud is not a concern as it seldom occurs. Further, election officials have tools to determine if fraud is occurring such as checking signatures or looking for statistical irregularities. Colorado, Washington and Oregon have used voting by mail extensively for years, and there is no significant difference in voter fraud in those states versus others that don’t offer VBM to all citizens. If fraud exists, only a handful of votes might be affected as it would be difficult to organize widespread fraud by individual mail-in ballots. There is actually a larger risk with voting machines which can be vulnerable to hacking, potentially changing a large number of votes at a time.

  How are VBM ballots tabulated?

  The voter signs the envelope containing the ballot and posts it by 11:59pm on election day. The signature on the envelope is verified against the signature on file. If they don’t match, the election commission contacts the voter to confirm or allow them to correct the signature.

  Can non-US citizens voters vote by mail?

  No. Only U.S. citizens who are eligible and have registered to vote may vote in any election. Any voting in the United States—whether in person or absentee—is available only to US citizens who are registered to vote. Illegally voting in any federal election in the United States is a federal offece as outlined in the ​Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996​.

Does vote by mail benefit one party vs. the other?

There is no evidence that vote by mail is more beneficial to one party vs another. A recent study by Stanford​ Institute for Economic Policy Research showed that voting by mail creates higher overall voter turnout and that both parties benefit equally.

What is current voter sentiment about voting by mail?

According to a ​recent national poll​, about 4 in 5 Americans believe that voting by mail should be an option as a way to protect voters from contracting COVID-19 and to help those with a disability or who have transportation issues.

What if I am a college student and will be out of state?

You can request an absentee ballot from Illinois that can be mailed to your campus address. You may also be able to vote in the state of your college, but go to ​vote411.org​ to check eligibility. Some states have a residency length requirement. Please remember that while you can have two official addresses, you may only vote in one place.

Are there other challenges in implementing vote by mail?

The Brennan Center says that ​$2 billion​ is needed in additional funding to orchestrate a safer November election, which includes voting by mail. A recent federal stimulus bill includes ​$400 million for election security, but any grant requires a ​20 percent match​ from the state, which may be difficult with stretched budgets. Additionally, citizens may not know who won on election night. Because voting by mail is more labor intensive and ballots can come in as late as election day, it may take some time before all ballots are counted and a winner is declared.

What is the League of Women Voters position on voting by mail?

The right to vote is a fundamental principle of our democracy. When more Americans can participate in our elections, the outcome better reflects who we are as a country. The LWV supports efforts ​to expand no-excuse absentee voting and mail-in ballots for the duration of the 2020 election cycle. In light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, it is imperative for state election officials to address voters’ and poll workers’ fears by limiting the need to cast an in-person ballot.

What are some nonpartisan organizations that support voting by mail?

League of Women Voters
National Conference of State Legislatures Vote.org
The Brennan Center/NYU School of Law uniteamerica.org

Where can I get more information regarding the League of Women Voters in Glen Ellyn?

Visit our website at ​https://www.lwvge.org/​.