There has been heavy discussion on the accuracy and necessity of voting by mail over the past couple of weeks. President Trump has raised his doubts on the legitimacy of voting by U.S. mail. As it turns out, 73% of Americans are in support of voting by mail for elections.
A poll from the Washington Post and University of Maryland reveals that three quarters of U.S. citizens feel that fear of contracting COVID-19 should qualify as reasoning to vote by mail. As coronavirus cases are persisting, Trump is pushing the elimination of voting via mail.
Trump has expressed his discontentment with voting by mail for the past couple of months once election polls began rolling in. Trump’s advocacy for in person voting began while Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden is currently leading the polls.
“Mail ballots, they cheat,” Trump said at the White House in August. “Mail ballots are very dangerous for this country because of cheaters. They go collect them. They are fraudulent in many cases. They have to vote. They should have voter ID, by the way.”
States vary on the acceptance of voting in by mail. Most states allow for all voters to request a mail ballot, while some require an excuse, and others primarily vote through mail.
Voting methods are generally dealt with by state officials which seems to be working as voters want to keep voting by mail an option. With COVID-19 numbers fluctuating, voting by mail seems to be a sustainable option for all.
Check your states voting method options here.
CIMA Law Group Blog 