While Secretary of State Jim Condos says Vermont’s vote-by-mail system has a safeguard in place to ensure that people casting ballots are who they say they are, town clerks on the front lines of elections say it’s not routine to check.
Is vote-by-mail secure voting? Can election officials really know who casts votes in a mail-in election? Vermont’s secretary of state responded to questions from True North about his plan to have ballots automatically sent to all registered voters for the general election.
If the Postal Service ceases to exist, our elections will be in jeopardy. If the mail delivery system on which all election officials rely diminishes, democracy will suffer.
Lawmakers of the Senate Committee on Government Operations on Tuesday expressed regret over giving the governor a say in this year’s elections and began drafting legislation to strip him of his authority in the matter.
The California Globe pointed out that 458,000 residents who died or moved are still on the “active” rolls — meaning that a half-million ballots will be floating out there for the taking. Another 24,000 people, Election Integrity Project California warns, will get two or more. It’s a recipe for disaster, watchdogs say.
A recent poll on Vermont’s voting preferences reveals a range of attitudes that run counter to election policies in the state — most notably, voters overwhelmingly think an ID should be required for casting a vote, and more than half say election officials can’t verify who is filling out absentee ballots.
As Vermont’s secretary of state and governor continue to discuss a proposal for expanded mail-in voting this election season, some lawmakers and citizens are worried that widespread use of a mail-in system could lead to voter fraud.
Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders all but shot down the possibility that he will run for the White House again, suggesting that another politician will take his place as the progressive choice.
Without rigid safeguards to prevent fraud, misuse, and voter intimidation, absentee ballot fraud — while it may occur sporadically — already has affected the outcome of elections in states and counties across the country.
Edward Gilbert of Graniteville has joined Jimmy Rodriguez of Arizona as an announced Republican challenger to incumbent Democratic Congressman Peter Welch.
The Vermont Secretary of State’s Office hopes to reach an agreement with Gov. Phil Scott this week to institute universal voting-by-mail for the Nov. 3 general election. The SOS plan would require all town and city clerks to mail ballots to all registered voters.
“We rely on the delivery of mail every election cycle. If the Postal Service ceases to exist entirely as a result, that is a worst-case scenario that we are, frankly, not well prepared for,” Secretary of State Jim Condos said.