[Magdalen] Vote by mail.

[Roger Stokes]

On 04/05/2016 14:18, Jay Weigel wrote:
> It exists in the state of Oregon. I wish it did in Virginia, although lines
> have been non-existent whenever I vote here in northern Rockingham County
> in the little precinct of Lacey Springs. I once faced a small line in
> Richmond.

I assume every state must be a system for allowing those who cannot get 
to the polling place to exercise their vote.  Monday evening I heard a 
lady saying that she is from Indiana and was able to vote in the primary 
before she set off on her current trip.  Early voting days will help 
some people but not those confined to home by disability or age-related 
infirmity.  In the UK the system used to exist to apply for a postal 
vite in the case of illness or where another good reason existed that 
you knew in advance would prevent you getting to the polling place.  I 
did that once and it was a bit of a performance involving a witness 
having to sign that it was me who had put mu basllot paper in the 
envelope that was then enclosed with the certificate in another mailing 
envelope.

The system changed some years back to allow anybody to apply for a 
postal vote.  Joan had one and it was a lot simpler than the old system 
with no need for any witness.  The problem is that this is much more 
open to fraud (as electoral-vote.com among others has noted) and is a 
far bogger issue than in-person voter fraud, which is used as 
"justification" for the voter ID rules some states have introduced.  In 
the UK some people have actually been convicted of involvement in 
organized postal vote fraud where vulnerable people were targeted to 
vote a particular way.

Roger, who has to vote for our Police and Crime Commissioner tomorrow.  
Like many people I think the post should not have been created but, like 
in most of our elections I do not expect to have to wait  to be 
processed when I get to the polling station.