Absentee versus mail-in ballots

| 04 Aug 2020 | 12:02

    There is a lot of misinformation out there about absentee versus mail-in voting.

    Please don’t be fooled. They are both ways to vote without physically going to the polls.

    Absentee ballots are for people who are travelling, serving abroad or are otherwise unable to be physically present in their state to vote.

    Mail-in ballots are an option provided to everyone in a state who chooses to vote by mail rather than in person.

    Obviously, this is an attractive option during a pandemic. If someone (such as the current president) asserts that one method is more reliable than the other or more prone to “abuse,” you need to know that this is not true. Voting fraud is extremely rare.

    Also studies show that voting by mail will not benefit one political party over the other.

    What’s important is that everyone who wants to vote should be able to do so. Being afraid of contracting COVID should not be a reason to sit out the election.

    Louise Reavis

    Monroe