South Bend Tribune
In the midst of a pandemic, Indiana’s Election Commission, guided in part by the bipartisan recommendation of state leaders, made the smart, non-political decision to ensure that Hoosiers could cast their vote in the primary election without fearing for their health.
It should offer that same option for the fall election.
It should ignore evidence-free claims that mail-in voting is rife with fraud and focus on the responsiblity to make voting easier, not harder, and protect this right in the middle of a public health crisis.
Indiana rose to the challenge a few months back, with the commission unanimously agreeing with Gov. Eric Holcomb that the need to reduce personal interactions justified allowing “no excuse” absentee voting for the Democratic and Republican primaries. Normally, Hoosier residents would have to apply for an absentee ballot, provide an acceptable excuse for doing so and be approved by the county election board.
It was the right thing to do.
That safety and convenience should be extended to voters in November. Making such a suggestion would seem to be non-controversial, as in the past, both parties have acknowledged — and even embraced — absentee and mail ballots as a way to make voting easier, expand participation and lower election costs.
But all of that has shifted, with the president and some of his Republican allies claiming — again, without evidence — that voting by mail is a threat to the integrity of American elections.
A recent Washington Post analysis of data collected by three vote-by-mail states found just 372 possible cases of double voting or voting on behalf of deceased people out of about 14.6 million votes cast by mail in the 2016 and 2018 general elections, or 0.0025 percent.
But let’s face it, the sudden outrage about mail-in voting isn’t about security concerns. It’s about the perception that the process benefits Democrats. Like most things these days, voting by mail has become a partisan issue.
This despite studies that have come to the same conclusion: As states have expanded their use of mailed ballots over the last decade — including five states that conduct all-mail elections by default — both parties have enjoyed a small but equal increase in turnout.
Last week, Holcomb and Secretary of State Connie Lawson declined to say whether mail-in voting will continue to be available to all Hoosiers in future elections, or if the opportunity to vote by mail again will be limited to only those with a specific excuse for being unable to vote in person.
For his part, Holcomb said that he prefers to vote in person, and noted that he happily waited in line for nearly 40 minutes on June 2 to mark his ballot in what the governor described as “a very safe environment.”
All Hoosier voters — regardless of party affiliation or political leanings — should feel just as safe and happy about exercising their constitutional right this fall. Holcomb can help ensure that happens by recommending the election commission allow no-excuse absentee voting.
