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Voting Outside The Booth

Voting Outside The Booth. Derek Judd Stephen Chen Marshall Scott. What is an Absentee Ballot?. Convenient, alternative system of voting Designed for those who cannot be at the polling place on Election Day Elderly Incapacitated Overseas Citizens/Military Personnel Three main methods

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Voting Outside The Booth

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  1. Voting Outside The Booth Derek Judd Stephen Chen Marshall Scott

  2. What is an Absentee Ballot? • Convenient, alternative system of voting • Designed for those who cannot be at the polling place on Election Day • Elderly • Incapacitated • Overseas Citizens/Military Personnel • Three main methods • Vote-By-Mail (VBM) Voting • Proxy Voting • Internet Voting

  3. Vote-By-Mail Absentee Ballots • Ballots distributed to voters through postal service • Secrecy/Mailing Envelopes • Sealed, signed, dated, and stamped • Voter turns in ballot • Mailed at any mailbox • Dropped off at a local ballot collection center

  4. VBM’s Popularity Since 1998 • Oregon was first state to establish VBM • Passed initiative in 1998 requiring mail-in elections • 30 states offer VBM • No excuse • Voters are not required to have a reason to obtain an absentee ballot • Permanent no excuse • Voters automatically receive absentee ballots for all future elections

  5. Vote-By-Mail Controversy • Advocates overlook flaws • Blinded by “increased voter turnout” • Convinced of an error-free system • Critics expose faults in VBM structure • Many articles/documents cite issues • Recent news stories tell of balloting disasters • Online resources reveal a continuously growing list of concerns

  6. Problems with VBM Ballots • No such thing as a “secret ballot” • Susceptible to corruption • Ballots still counted by same machines • Just as likely to be miscounted • Only as reliable as the postal service • Ballots may be mishandled/delivered late • Cost is actually greater • Printing extra envelopes, instructions, etc.

  7. Problems with VBM Ballots • Signature Verification Process is inefficient • Voters occasionally respond when contacted • Voter fraud becomes easier • Ballots float around without supervision • Human error/forgetfulness • Double voting – Voting on Election Day • Increase the time for elections • Ballots still come in after Election Day

  8. Unknown Margin of Error • No statistics available from USPS • Number of late ballots that were postmarked on time are not counted • Percent of votes stolen or bought is virtually unknowable • No 2nd chance voting • Errors made on absentee ballots disenfranchise voters

  9. Solutions to Current Problems • Discourage unnecessary absentee voting • Better chance of having your vote counted at voting polls • Use only for original purpose • Absentee votes counted the same way as votes cast at polls • Witness Requirement • Simpler way of proofing someone’s absentee ballot vote

  10. Solutions cont. • Exclude third parties • ACORN - The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now • Receipts for absentee ballots

  11. Recent Legislation • NDAA - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 • MOVE Act - Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act • Require overseas ballots to be sent 45 days before election • Expedite voting process • Eliminate Notarization • Expand opportunity to use FWAB • Require the use of technology

  12. UOCAVA - The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act • Requires states to allow certain groups of citizens to vote in elections • Groups of citizens include United States Uniformed Services and merchant marine, their family members and United States citizens residing outside the United States. • FWAB - The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot • write-in ballot used by overseas American citizens • cast by voters who have made timely application for ballot but have not received ballot

  13. SERVE - Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Experiment • electronic voting demonstration experiment project • reviewed by SPRG and federal agencies • report was published calling for termination of SERVE • Secretary of Defense blocked the use of SERVE in 2004 election • Report criticized internet security and not SERVE

  14. Government Agencies • FVAP - The Federal Voting Assistance Program • monitors voter registration and absentee voting opportunities provided to the Armed Forces • Organizations • OVF - Overseas Vote Foundation • public charity that helps overseas and military personnel participate in federal elections. • mission is to increase participation of overseas and military absentee voters

  15. Fixing the Current System • Restrict Eligibility of Absentee Voters • Stop No-Excuse Ballots • Limit Convenience Voters • Favor Early Voting Instead • Mail-in Ballots Should Not Be Preferred to Voting at a Polling Location • Reform of Early Voting Procedures • Standardized Early Voting Period

  16. Fixing the Current System • Require Additional Identification • Photocopy of Drivers License • Fingerprints • Standardize Procedures • Make Information More Available • Utilize Internet for Other Processes • Registration • Request • Receipt

  17. Alternatives to Mail-in Ballots • Internet voting • Advantages to Absentee Voters • Security Concerns • Limited Proxy voting • Used in the UK • Problems: Privacy, Fraud, Integrity • Overseas Voting Sites • Cost, Implementation • Drop Off Voting

  18. Works Cited http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=270  http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2010/10/23/ballot-postage-presents-problem.html http://citypaper.net/blogs/clog/2010/10/30/committee-of-70-pushes-city-to-extend-ballot-deadline-because-of-voting-problems/ http://politicalmaps.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/early-voting-map-2008.png http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=16604 http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6003 http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/06/29/votebymail_doesnt_deliver.php http://novbm.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/whats-wrong-with-voting-by-mail-or-absentee-ballot/ http://uspolitics.about.com/od/elections/ig/History-of-Voting-Systems/Paper-Ballots--Voting-By-Mail.htm http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Voting_by_mail http://aaro.org/position-papers-2010/overseas-voting-reform-2010 http://www.aca.ch/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46&Itemid=49 http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Election_reform_proposals http://www.wired.com/autopia/2008/11/it-is-time-for/ http://www.justice.gov/crt/voting/misc/activ_uoc.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Vote_Foundation

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