I’ve been helping some friends by doing research for their project, and this was one of the topics I was asked to cover. With how suddenly topical the conversation about VBM and the Post Office has become today, I’ve decided to share the research I’ve done in this blog post. Enjoy!

What is Mail-In Voting?

Mail in voting is where the state distributes ballots to registered voters, who make their selections and mail back their ballot to the state’s election offices or drop off their ballots at a predetermined location. [28] There’s primarily two types of mail-in voting to consider; universal vote-by-mail and absentee voting. [13] Universal vote-by-mail means that all voting takes place via mailed ballots, and no polling places are operated by the state for in-person voting. In the United States, five states currently use Universal vote-by-mail (WA, OR, CO, UT, HI).  [28]

Absentee voting means that if for an approved reason you are unable to vote in person at a polling station, you request and receive a ballot from the state in lieu of voting in person. Approved reasons vary from state to state, with 29 states and the District of Columbia approving a “no reason” condition for requesting a mailed ballot. [1]  This is often referred to as No Excuse Absentee balloting. [28] The remaining 16 states and all 5 U.S. territories have absentee balloting, but require an excuse to be submitted.[1] At time of writing, all 50 states, DC and all US Territories have existing mailed balloting systems in place. States also have varying deadlines by which absentee ballots must be requested before election day, and some states require you to submit a request for an absentee ballot for each election.  [13]

When did the United States Start Using Mailed Balloting?

The history of mailed balloting in the United States began with absentee balloting during the election of 1864, in the middle of the Civil War. President Lincoln sought a second term, and the election served as a referendum on continuing the fight or negotiating a peace with the Confederate States of America. His Democratic opponent, McClellan, was a former commander of the Union Army who disagreed with Lincoln’s management of the conflict. [24] This election was contentious, with Lincoln as late as early August 1864 stating that his chances to not win re-election would be “exceedingly probable.” [8] Lincoln’s Secretary of War Edwin Stanton proposed the framework for absentee balloting, where soldiers could vote from the battlefield if they were not permitted to be furloughed home to vote. This was introduced in 1864, and twenty-five states (remember that only states that did not secede were allowed to vote in the election) quickly changed their laws to permit absentee balloting. Active duty soldiers were permitted to speak openly about their Commander in Chief’s wartime performance in context of his candidacy! [24] 

As the year progressed, the disastrous summer of 1864 for the Union Army gave way to Gen. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta, and what had seemed to be an unwinnable war suddenly looked optimistic for the North. With this strong Union performance, Lincoln won over the soldiers in his Army from their former commander and won in a landslide victory, with 212 of 233 possible electoral votes. [8] Lincoln’s insistence to give all eligible voters, regardless of logistical difficulty, the opportunity to vote paid off.

Who Uses Mail-In Voting (Before the Rona)?

A lot of people! In 2016, 23.6% of all voters used either universal vote-by-mail or absentee balloting systems. [10] That’s approximately 5.8 million voters! [16] The usage of mailed balloting has increased over each election, compared to 12.1% of voters in 2004. [10] This collection of voters is diverse, with no demographic using mail-in-voting in a significantly larger portion than others. Older voters do use mail-in-voting slightly more than younger voters but not significantly so. [23] 

However, there are particular demographics which rely on voting by mail by a significant percentage of their subsection. [3]  67% of active duty military members vote by absentee ballot. [2]  Voters with disabilities often are less likely to vote, but more likely to vote by mail when they do.[21]

What are the Advantages or Disadvantages to Mail-In Voting? Does a Particular Party Benefit?

“In short: voting by mail is more convenient for some voters but more difficult for others, and these conflicting factors appear to cancel each other out, dampening any partisan advantage. Moreover, the vast majority of nonvoters don’t participate not because it’s too inconvenient to vote, but because voting isn’t a habit for them.” -Lee Drucker, FiveThirtyEight

I think the above quote renders the question moot. [9] Drutman argues that moves towards vote-by-mail levies no advantage to a party as the voters gained by using mailed ballots are roughly equal to the voters lost by the change. According to the New York Times, voters that could be lost by this change include the poor, minorities and the rural vote. [29]. There’s also a consideration for switching to voting by mail during the pandemic, at a time of economic and employment instability when people are forced to move from their registered addresses in with family or friends, or those who lose their homes in such times. [29] With in-person polling, many states allow for you to register to vote at the polling site and cast a provisional ballot; there is no similar system in place for mail-in voting. According to a recent study from Stanford University, which looked at voter performance in states which either had universal vote-by-mail or states which allowed counties to determine if they use vote-by-mail, “Claims that vote-by-mail fundamentally advantages one party over the other appear overblown.”[30]

However, something to note here is a study conducted by political scientist Daniel Smith which found in Florida that younger voters and minorities were much more likely to have mail-in ballots rejected due to some sort of discretionary reason, such as a signature error. [22] Until efforts to standardize review of MBV ballots are realized, this vulnerability will remain a significant human factor in the counting of votes. 

Why is VBM Suddenly an Issue?

Voting by mail is incredibly popular, not just in increased use but the concept itself garners 70% of approval from Americans. [25] However, over the course of the past few months, President Trump has denounced the widespread adoption of the process during the election. [20] Trump has claimed that voting by mail would be “fraudulent.” Please note at this time, Trump has voted by mail in several elections, including the 2018 midterms and the Florida primaries in March 2020, while he was in the state and drove past polling places. [4] Several senior members of Trump’s administration have also voted by mail while denouncing the practice. Trump also claims that allowing mail-in ballots would hurt the Republican party.

Republicans in Congress are focusing instead on community ballot pickups, which allows for individuals to turn in ballots for multiple people. As Miles Parks of NPR puts it, “Generally, Democrats see the practice as helpful for vulnerable populations; one person turning in all the ballots for a nursing home or housing complex for instance. But what Democrats call “community ballot collection,” Republicans deride as “ballot harvesting,” and say it opens up those same vulnerable populations to manipulation and vote coercion.”  [20] 

We Need to Talk About the Post Office

The United States Post Office (USPS) handles all ballots in transit between the voters and the states. However, we’re also in an era of uncertainty for the USPS due partially to the financial issues levied upon the USPS by Congress. [7] At the beginning of spring, the USPS warned Congress that it was facing insolvency as early as September 2019, but numbers provided in June to Congress indicate that increased package delivery during the summer has helped prolong the life of the Post Office from its predicted demise until April 2021.

The financial woes of the USPS certainly come from the digital age, the Great Recession, and the advent of Email, but have been accelerated dramatically by Congress’ unusual imposition of requirements for the USPS to prefund all pensions for new employees. [5] Republicans have demanded that in order to reach solvency, the entire structure and pay schedule of the USPS must be retooled to match private competitors. [12] Trump has spoken out about his disagreements with the current USPS business model, and at one point demanded that packages delivery costs be quadrupled and has threatened to withhold funding to the USPS until they meet his demands. [18] In order to gain more influence within the functions of the USPS, Trump has appointed Louis DeJoy, a major donor to Trump’s political campaigns, as Postmaster General. DeJoy has already come under scrutiny in the last two months after an internal document from DeJoy recommended the slowdown of mail delivery service. [6]

Does it Matter if the Post Office Fails? Why Not Stop Supporting USPS?

Putting aside that the US Post Office is as American as Benjamin Franklin and the Constitution, [26], the USPS quietly makes our modern lives better, even if it’s not handling the vast majority of our correspondence. The USPS, through its legal mandate to deliver the mail everywhere regardless of geographical or logistical difficulty, contracts with private delivery companies like UPS, FedEx, and Amazon to fulfill deliveries for the “last mile” or the final delivery step from distribution center to the customer. [14] Without the USPS handling the last mile, costs for packages to non-urban areas would significantly increase, or mail would simply not be delivered to areas deemed unprofitable. Post offices often serve as rural community centers, more than half of the people who get life-saving medications delivered are over the age of 65, and many rural areas that already are deemed too small to open polling places near them would be unable to vote at all. [15]

How Does the Post Office’s Problems Impact Voting By Mail?

Mail slowdowns or failures to deliver would directly impact the way the American people are able to democratically select their leadership. [19] Congressional leadership to post office workers concur that current tampering in the USPS during this pandemic is an egregious attack on democracy. [17]

What Can We Do?

The easiest way to learn more about VBM and how it can help you vote is by visiting VoteSaveAmerica.com, which is developed by the same media team that produces the popular podcast series Pod Save America. [27] They’ve got an easy platform to identify what the laws are surrounding your ability to request an absentee ballot, and what to do with your ballot should you choose to vote by mail or opt to vote in person later. If that isn’t your cup of tea, you can also look at your Secretary of State’s website to learn more about the laws in your area. If you choose to vote by mail, make sure to submit your ballot a couple weeks in advance of November 3 to ensure it gets to your election office in time, or drop it off as soon as possible at an election office or drop box. 

To support the post office, the easiest way is through using their services. Send a letter or a postcard to a friend, maybe to suggest they also make sure they’re registered to vote? Buying stamps also goes a long way to helping ensure that services can be rendered later on. If you’re comfortable with speaking on the phone, another great direct action you can take is reaching out to your representatives on the state and national level to express your opinion that the mail should remain an asset of the american people, rather than privatized and making money for some old fat cat. [11] After all, you don’t want your Amazon Prime subscription to quadruple, do you? 😉

References and Resources

[1] Absentee/mail-in voting. (2020). Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://ballotpedia.org/Absentee/mail-in_voting

[2] Americans can vote. Wherever they are. (2019). Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.fvap.gov/info/reports-surveys/StateoftheMilitaryVoter

[3] Baringer, A., Herron, M. C., & Smith, D. A. (2020, April 25). Voting by Mail and Ballot Rejection: Lessons from Florida for Elections in the Age of the Coronavirus∗ [Scholarly project]. In Voting by Mail and Ballot Rejection: Lessons from Florida for Elections in the Age of the Coronavirus∗. Retrieved July 24, 2020, from https://electionscience.clas.ufl.edu/files/2020/04/Baringer_Herron_Smith_VBM_FL.pdf

[4] Blake, A. (2020, June 23). Analysis | 16 Trump officials who have voted by mail recently, despite Trump’s warnings about it. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/22/trump-officials-vote-by-mail/

[5] Bogage, J. (2020, April 15). The Postal Service needs a bailout. Congress is partly to blame. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/15/postal-service-bailout-congress/

[6] Bogage, J. (2020, July 14). Postal Service memos detail ‘difficult’ changes, including slower mail delivery. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/14/postal-service-trump-dejoy-delay-mail/

[7] Bogage, J. (2020, June 25). Under siege from Trump, U.S. Postal Service finds surprising financial upside in pandemic. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/06/25/postal-service-packages-coronavirus/

[8] Cunningham, J. (2019, November 01). United States presidential election of 1864. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1864

[9] Drutman, L. (2020, May 12). There Is No Evidence That Voting By Mail Gives One Party An Advantage. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/there-is-no-evidence-that-voting-by-mail-gives-one-party-an-advantage/

[10] EAVS Deep Dive: Early, Absentee and Mail Voting: U.S. Election Assistance Commission. (2017, October 17). Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.eac.gov/documents/2017/10/17/eavs-deep-dive-early-absentee-and-mail-voting-data-statutory-overview

[11] Fairbank, R. (2020, April 15). How You Can Support the USPS. Retrieved July 31, 2020, from https://lifehacker.com/how-you-can-support-the-usps-1842858486

[12] Fandos, N., & Epstein, R. (2020, May 10). A Fight Over the Future of the Mail Breaks Down Along Familiar Lines. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/10/us/politics/postal-service-trump-coronavirus.html

[13] Hinkle, B., & Underhill, W. (2020, July 10). Voting Outside the Polling Place: Absentee, All-Mail and other Voting at Home Options. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/absentee-and-early-voting.aspx

[14] Hochfelder, B. (2018, September 07). Why USPS is the perfect fit for the last mile. Retrieved July 31, 2020, from https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/USPS-postal-service-deliveries-logistics/531785/

[15] Kim, C. (2020, April 16). If the US Postal Service fails, rural America will suffer the most. Retrieved July 31, 2020, from https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/4/16/21219067/us-postal-service-shutting-down-rural-america-native-communities

[16] Library Guides: Post-Election 2016 Recap & Resources: Voter Turnout. (2019, November 12). Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/post-election-2016/voter-turnout

[17] Lisa Rein, J. (2020, April 24). Trump says he will block coronavirus aid for U.S. Postal Service if it doesn’t hike prices immediately. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/04/24/trump-postal-service-loan-treasury/

[18] Michelle Lee, J. (2020, July 30). Postal Service backlog sparks worries that ballot delivery could be delayed in November. Retrieved July 30, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/postal-service-backlog-sparks-worries-that-ballot-delivery-could-be-delayed-in-november/2020/07/30/cb19f1f4-d1d0-11ea-8d32-1ebf4e9d8e0d_story.html

[19] Naylor, B. (2020, May 30). As More Americans Prepare To Vote By Mail, Postal Service Faces Big Challenges. Retrieved July 31, 2020, from https://www.npr.org/2020/05/30/865258362/as-more-americans-prepare-to-vote-by-mail-postal-service-faces-big-challenges

[20] Parks, M. (2020, June 04). Why Is Voting By Mail (Suddenly) Controversial? Here’s What You Need To Know. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.npr.org/2020/06/04/864899178/why-is-voting-by-mail-suddenly-controversial-heres-what-you-need-to-know

[21] Powell, S., & Miller, P. (2019). Overcoming Voting Obstacles: The Use of Convenience Voting by Voters With Disabilities – Peter Miller, Sierra Powell, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1532673X15586618

[22] Smith, D. A. (2018, September 20). Vote-By-Mail Ballots Cast in Florida. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.aclufl.org/en/publications/vote-mail-ballots-cast-florida

[23] Stewart, C., III. (2020, March 20). Some Demographics on Voting by Mail. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://electionupdates.caltech.edu/2020/03/20/some-demographics-on-voting-by-mail/

[24] Stilwell, B. (n.d.). How Absentee Voting for US Troops Won the Civil War and Ended Slavery. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.military.com/military-life/how-absentee-voting-us-troops-won-civil-war-and-ended-slavery.html

[25] Two-Thirds of Americans Expect Presidential Election Will Be Disrupted by COVID-19. (2020, July 20). Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/04/28/two-thirds-of-americans-expect-presidential-election-will-be-disrupted-by-covid-19/

[26] USPS. (2003). Benjamin Franklin: Postmaster General. Retrieved July 30, 2020, from https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/pmg-franklin.pdf

[27] Vote Save America 2020. (2020). Retrieved July 31, 2020, from https://votesaveamerica.com/

[28] West, D. (2020, June 29). How does vote-by-mail work and does it increase election fraud? Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/votervital/how-does-vote-by-mail-work-and-does-it-increase-election-fraud/

[29] Wines, M. (2020, May 25). Which Party Would Benefit Most From Voting by Mail? It’s Complicated. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/25/us/vote-by-mail-coronavirus.html

[30] Wong, M. (2020, April 16). New research on voting by mail shows neutral partisan effects. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/new-research-voting-mail-shows-neutral-partisan-effects