Mail in Ballots? Bad idea!

[gowlerk 1,903]

No, I am not referring to the possibility of fraud. I am talking about two issues with vote by mail. Both involve the erosion of the secret ballot. I can easily see someone's spouse or parent supervising the vote and making sure it goes to the preferred candidate of the most aggressive person in the household. And secondly, it makes vote buying possible again, just like the bad old days.

Does anyone here have any good ideas on how to prevent this other than in person ballots?

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

11 minutes ago, gowlerk said:

No, I am not referring to the possibility of fraud. I am talking about two issues with vote by mail. Both involve the erosion of the secret ballot. I can easily see someone's spouse or parent supervising the vote and making sure it goes to the preferred candidate of the most aggressive person in the household. And secondly, it makes vote buying possible again, just like the bad old days.

Does anyone here have any good ideas on how to prevent this other than in person ballots?

Hi Ken,

We have had mail-in only here in Oregon ( you can drive up & drop off your ballot at some locations around the state ) for more years than I can remember.  I know of no one in this state wanting to change it back.  It is well liked here.

Back in the 50's, our house ( the basement ) was a voting location many times.

One can always bring in phony ID & vote in someone else's name.

And, all Absentee Ballots are subject to your concerns.

I do not see much of a problem.  Sure, a possibility, but little else.

Just my $0.02,

Jerry Baumchen

[Coreece 189]

35 minutes ago, gowlerk said:

it makes vote buying possible again, just like the bad old days.

How much do you think my Michigan vote is worth vs a California vote?

 

35 minutes ago, gowlerk said:

Does anyone here have any good ideas on how to prevent this other than in person ballots?

Blockchain document verification.

https://www.blockchainexpert.uk/blog/document-verification-using-blockchain

 

Also, with the increasing possibility of fraudulent deep fakes, we'll use this tech for video timestamping and authentication as well.

Edit - this of course is assuming we move toward more private digital balloting.

Edited April 18, 2020 by Coreece

[gowlerk 1,903]

30 minutes ago, Coreece said:

How much do you think my Michigan vote is worth vs a California vote?

Probably not an issue in statewide races. But in more local contests elections have historically been bought.

[ryoder 1,381]

50 minutes ago, JerryBaumchen said:

We have had mail-in only here in Oregon ( you can drive up & drop off your ballot at some locations around the state ) for more years than I can remember.  I know of no one in this state wanting to change it back.  It is well liked here.

Same situation here in CO. I vote in every election and haven't gone to a polling station since the 1990's.

[timski 80]

have you seen the current situation/shit show? Can't really see it getting much worse... I mean, creepy uncle Joe is my only out? FML  

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

7 minutes ago, timski said:

 Can't really see it getting much worse... 

Hi Tim,

If Trump gets re-elected, you will.

Jerry Baumchen

[timski 80]

13 minutes ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi Tim,

If Trump gets re-elected, you will.

Jerry Baumchen

Jerry,

         NEVER has the double edged sword been so sharp. I'll vote blue just like I always do... 

Love,

          Tim

[JoeWeber 2,294]

1 hour ago, gowlerk said:

No, I am not referring to the possibility of fraud. I am talking about two issues with vote by mail. Both involve the erosion of the secret ballot. I can easily see someone's spouse or parent supervising the vote and making sure it goes to the preferred candidate of the most aggressive person in the household. And secondly, it makes vote buying possible again, just like the bad old days.

Does anyone here have any good ideas on how to prevent this other than in person ballots?

I'm not doing well at keeping my vote a secret anyway, methinks, and the majority of votes are already being bought, seems to me. Mail voting is the way, at least for now, and just like all other voting methods any fraud is mostly right wing fantasy. In Oregon it's a 20 year success story. 

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

2 hours ago, gowlerk said:

Does anyone here have any good ideas on how to prevent this other than in person ballots?

Hi Ken,

Well, here is one person's thoughts:

Klobuchar for Minnesota

Amy is teaming up with Stacey Abrams, the founder and chair of Fair Fight Action, in a new video calling on Americans to support voting by mail and other measures like early voting and recruiting and training poll workers. These measures will make casting a ballot safer during the pandemic.

Voters in Wisconsin were recently forced to choose between their right to vote and their health. It is irresponsible and dangerous to refuse to make changes to the voting process, as many Republicans including President Trump are doing, when there are simple, achievable ways to make voting safer.

Amy recently introduced a bill with Senator Ron Wyden that would allow all Americans to vote by mail and would create a 20-day in-person voting period to prevent crowding at polling places. These measures would ensure that Americans can protect their health while also exercising their constitutional right to vote.

People should not have to choose between voting and their health and safety. That's why it's critical that every American has the ability to vote by mail or to safely vote in person.

Thank you so much,

Team Amy

 

Jerry Baumchen 

 

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

1 hour ago, Coreece said:

private digital balloting.

Hi Coreece,

I would call that a paradox.

Jerry Baumchen

[Coreece 189]

17 minutes ago, JerryBaumchen said:

2 hours ago, Coreece said:

private digital balloting.

Hi Coreece,

I would call that a paradox.

Your selective quote left out the word "more,"  as in more private than what gowlerk was talking about.

. . .but  still, blockchain cryptography does offer increased user security -  it's just that it's a bit confusing and people seem afraid of it, so it'll take a little longer to catch on.

[JoeWeber 2,294]

19 minutes ago, Coreece said:

. . .but  still, blockchain cryptography does offer increased user security -  it's just that it's a bit confusing and people seem afraid of it, so it'll take a little longer to catch on.

As I think about it, you may be on to something. If the act of actually casting a ballot takes a certain amount of intelligence we may have found a solution to the problem.

[gowlerk 1,903]

47 minutes ago, JoeWeber said:

As I think about it, you may be on to something. If the act of actually casting a ballot takes a certain amount of intelligence we may have found a solution to the problem.

Like literacy tests? Been done and sort of discredited.

[JoeWeber 2,294]

1 hour ago, gowlerk said:

Like literacy tests? Been done and sort of discredited.

Not lately.

[1969912 0]

I AM talking about fraud. The leftists will do anything to swing the elections in their direction. Fuck them.

[billvon 2,380]

28 minutes ago, 1969912 said:

I AM talking about fraud. The leftists will do anything to swing the elections in their direction. Fuck them.

You haven't been following the whole gerrymandering thing, have you.

 

[kallend 1,621]

4 hours ago, 1969912 said:

I AM talking about fraud. The leftists will do anything to swing the elections in their direction. Fuck them.

The Republican Party is NOT leftist.  You are confused.

[ryoder 1,381]

2 hours ago, kallend said:

The Republican Party is NOT leftist.  You are confused.

LOL!!! 

[sfzombie13 307]

8 hours ago, billvon said:

You haven't been following the whole gerrymandering thing, have you.

 

that's it!  gerrymandering is the reason republicans are so hell bent on avoiding the mail in ballots.  the mail is the great equalizer.  they should switch to mail in voting for everyone and have an opt out if you don't want to.  just mail a card to every registered voter after checking to see if they're still alive to make sure they are still living there, then the ballot comes the week after it is returned.  start in october.  then pass a law to make electorals votes match the percentages of the popular vote and the whole election problem is fixed.  put term limits on congress and outlaw lobbying and the whole political system is almost fixed.  still need a tweak here and there for that one.

[turtlespeed 212]

So, basically, three individual steps that could each kill voter anonymity.  
 

Well, at least there is the bonus of increased potential for fraud.

There should be a better solution. 
 

Mobile voting booths?  You need your voter registration number - and can vote privately?

 

 

[normiss 620]

4 hours ago, sfzombie13 said:

that's it!  gerrymandering is the reason republicans are so hell bent on avoiding the mail in ballots.  the mail is the great equalizer.  they should switch to mail in voting for everyone and have an opt out if you don't want to.  just mail a card to every registered voter after checking to see if they're still alive to make sure they are still living there, then the ballot comes the week after it is returned.  start in october.  then pass a law to make electorals votes match the percentages of the popular vote and the whole election problem is fixed.  put term limits on congress and outlaw lobbying and the whole political system is almost fixed.  still need a tweak here and there for that one.

Living in Florida, I've been an absentee voter / mail in for years. It gives me the time ahead of my vote to research all of the people on the ballot.

I don't trust the mail though, I always hand deliver and verify with the Supervisor of Elections on-line a few days later. I also get another sticker for my tool boxes.

It will show my votes were received and entered.

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

11 hours ago, sfzombie13 said:

that's it!  gerrymandering is the reason republicans are so hell bent on avoiding the mail in ballots.  the mail is the great equalizer.  they should switch to mail in voting for everyone and have an opt out if you don't want to.  just mail a card to every registered voter after checking to see if they're still alive to make sure they are still living there, then the ballot comes the week after it is returned.  start in october.  then pass a law to make electorals votes match the percentages of the popular vote and the whole election problem is fixed.  put term limits on congress and outlaw lobbying and the whole political system is almost fixed.  still need a tweak here and there for that one.

The Republicans in several states have admitted that if everyone who was eligible voted, they'd be in real trouble.