Voting By Mail & Social Media Flamethrowers

You've probably seen this little ditty floating around social media:

Personally, I think it's a great example of the kinds of things foreign agitators are doing in order to sow seeds of doubt in our political system.  The fact that the president has "mail-in vote fraud" as a standard talking point doesn't help either.  

Personally, I think the very idea of comparing voting to shopping is a load of rubbish.  Here's why:

• Civil Responsibility - I don't have a civic responsibility to go shopping.  I do have a civic responsibility to vote.  In fact, I'd call it a civic obligation.  Comparing voting to shopping is simply ridiculous.
• Choice - I can get toilet paper at any number of places.  If Walmart happens to be unusually wackadoodle on a particular day, I can go to Walmart light, a.k.a. "nameless __________ Dollar store".  I have no choice come election day.  I have to go to the one and only place where the government says I need to cast my ballot if I am to vote in person.
• One Day of the Year - I can go shopping at Walmart 7 days a week if I so desire.  In fact, if I go into Walmart and see that it's too crowded, I can simply come back the next day.  No harm is done.  Primary election voting however is only one day during the year.  The powers that be have also seen fit to make it on a work-day for most.  This means that, for many folks, they may not be able to come back to a polling place if it is crowded.  None of us can come back the next day and vote.
• Health & Safety - Walmart, for example, makes some kind of effort (laughable as it may seem at times) to keep their stores clean and to enforce mask and social distancing rules.  I have no idea though whether local poll and government workers will do the same on election day.  If the enforcement of mask-wearing by local governments is any indicator, we could be in for some trouble come election day at polling places.

The final point is the most important one for me.  I am, generally speaking, a pretty healthy guy, all things considered, & high-milage noted.  However, I did develop asthma in my 40's.  Among other things, this means that on those rare occurrences when I do get a cold (for example...which occurs about once every 18 months or so), I get really sick.  Sick as in I end up having to take steroids for a few weeks.  Trust me when I say that two weeks of feeling greasy and bloated is not all that much fun, but it's better than hospitalization.  What's more, COVID-19 is no Cold, and I'm not about to throw months of being extraordinarily careful about hand-washing, mask-wearing, and avoiding crowds away just because of some Russian troll farm-produced and widely circulated a social media piece.

By all means, vote in person if you are moved to do so.  That's your right, and honestly what's most important here is that you simply do vote.  However, an entire state (Oregon) has been voting by mail for years now without any issues.  In fact, the president himself and, as I understand it, all of the senior members of his administration, have regularly voted by mail without issue.  A mail-in ballot goes through the exact same United States Postal Service channels whether it is an absentee ballot or a mail-in ballot.  

The bottom line is this:  The arguments against voting by mail don't stand up when you think about it logically, which is precisely why these kinds of things are designed by Ivan and his comrades to elicit an emotional response.  I'm voting by mail in the November election because it's simply safer for me to do so and because it is proven to be a secure way for me to exercise my civil obligation.  

Don't be so willing to take social media bait.  

Think about these things logically, not emotionally.  

What we should be passionate about here is encourage everyone we know to vote in November, be it in person or via the mail.

I Voted (2 weeks ago)

For the second time in my life, I voted by mail.  The first was the general election of 2016 when election day coincided with a vacation in Florida.  Why was this time number two?  The most basic reason is the fact that, as someone with asthma, I just didn't want to run the risk of being with a large group of people for an extended period of time in an enclosed space.  Another reason was basically that I could.

What's important is that I voted.  Period.

Now there has been a lot of noise in social media about voting by mail.  Sadly, I will note, I think part of that noise is simply designed to:

1) Suppress the vote
2) Instill a lack of confidence in our voting system

None of that noise is based in fact.  Voting by mail has not proven to be any less secure than voting in person (citation HERE).  In fact, Pennsylvania's former governor, testifying in court trying to defend a voter ID law (that was struck down), conceded that he, as a former Attorney General for Pennsylvania (and as governor) had not prosecuted a single case of voter fraud by impersonation (citation HERE).  Not a single one.  Voting fraud is exceptionally rare.  What's more, the state of Oregon, which has allowed voting by mail for many years, has not had any significant voter fraud issues.

(from http://voterfraudfacts.com/)

"if you can wait in line at Walmart, you should be able to wait in line to vote" is one of the gems of (un)wisdom making the social media rounds.  First, comparing the right to vote to buying cat litter at a place where 46% of shoppers are wearing pajamas is a bit of a stretch precisely because one is optional and the other is an obligation.  What's more, I can make a choice about where and when to shop...those choices are really not as available when voting in person, where the polls are only open for a certain period of time on one day and in only one location (for me).

Another bit of twisted logic associated with voting by mail is the fact that some of the loudest voices against it are also some of the individuals who actually do it themselves.  If the concern is that voting by mail is not secure, well, then it is not any more secure if the reason for voting by mail is to cast an absentee ballot?  I know though that hypocrisy is a difficult concept for the dim to grasp.  What's more, if mail is susceptible to fraud, why then do we use it for such high-risk endeavors as sending Social Security checks?  For more information about fraud and voting by mail click HERE.

In the end, we need to look at who would want to discourage voting by mail and why they would be so predisposed.  I suspect that a hard look at this opposition will show us things that we'd prefer not to see, namely the fact that some believe they will win only if others don't vote in large numbers.  That's not how a democracy works by the way.

I am not sure how I will be voting in November's general election.  Part of the decision will be driven by the status of COVID-19.  I have an obligation to both keep myself healthy and help change this country for the better, and those two thoughts are not mutually exclusive.  What's important is that I will be voting in November, no matter what happens.

VOTE

Vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 6th because...

...the politically powerful count on you not voting

...voting is a protected right under our Constitution

...by not voting, you're allowing others to decide your fate

...so many have fought and died to give you this right

...big political contributors have too much influence 

...we can do better

...the richest and the poorest are all equal at the voting booth

...it's time for a change

...no President of either party should be above checks & balances

...you can say no to fear and hate

...it offers the smallest investment/biggest return available

...well-off old white guys shouldn't make all the rules

...you get the government you vote (or don't vote) for

...no one has to know who you voted for anyway

...politicians lie to you and think you're too stupid to notice

...your one vote literally could change history



I truly believe that, as a nation, we are at a crossroads:  Do we choose fear and xenophobia, or do we choose to believe that we can do better?  This is above and beyond politics; it's about who we are as human beings and what kind of nations we choose to call home.  

Please vote in tomorrow's election.  If you haven't voted in a while don't worry...just show up and the poll workers will help you.  Vote because you...and your vote...and our nation...matter now more than ever.