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The Wisconsin Election Commission has authorized a measure that will send millions of absentee ballots to registered voters. Roughly 2.7 million voters will be receiving their ballots in the mail ahead of the November election. Fears about the potential impact of COVID-19 on in-person voting have led to an increased focus on absentee ballots in the upcoming election.
However, President Donald Trump has expressed his disdain for voting by mail. In a series of controversial tweets, he alleged that mail-in voting is prone to fraud. However, in a fact-check applied by Twitter, Trump’s statements are put into context. There is little evidence that mail-in voting has ever been more prone to fraud than in-person ballots.
Due to the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s possible that much in-person voting will be canceled. While numbers are down going in to the summer, epidemiologists fear a second wave of the virus could hit in the fall.
Since it’s unlikely that there will be a vaccine for the disease by November, it’s likely that the US will need backup plans for voting. In all fifty states, absentee ballots are already commonly used, and are perfectly legal. As such, it’s an easy decision for many states to mail out ballots to all registered voters ahead of the election.
This has a dual function. First, it ensures that everyone will get to vote, even if a pandemic keeps them at home. Second, it makes voting much easier for a wider population of people, which is always a good thing for democracy.
Trump has claimed, repeatedly, that mail-in ballots are somehow more prone to fraud. However, he has not offered any evidence for these claims. Studies show quite the opposite: absentee ballots are considered fraud-resistant by voting experts. They are often as safe as data backup in the cloud. So, why does Trump not like mail-in ballots?
It’s possible that the president is aware that high voter turnout is historically bad for Republican candidates. Generally speaking, Republican candidates win elections where districts are gerrymandered and it is difficult to vote. Low voter turnout tends to favor older, more conservative voters. Widespread turnout, on the other hand, often has the opposite effect.
The November election is a pivotal one for both parties. There could be Supreme Court seats on the line. Additionally, the recovery from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is on the horizon. It’s apparent that this will be a heated, and likely very close, presidential election.
