If there was ever a year for high voter anxiety, it would be 2020. It doesn’t help that this month, 112 absentee ballots were found by a construction contractor in a dumpster in Jefferson County. These ballots had neither been opened nor filled out, meaning they were never received by their absentee voters. Scott Balfour, a special agent for the United States Postal Service, reports that the ballots have since been returned to the USPS and were hand-delivered to the recipients. The USPS employee who was found responsible has also been let go and is now facing federal charges.
Amidst cries of voter fraud and suppression from both ends of the political spectrum, this story is not an isolated incident. Just in late September, nine completed military ballots were found discarded in Pennsylvania. Upon investigation, this incident was deemed a misunderstanding, with the ballots being incorrectly discarded. The U.S. Department of Justice initially stated that all nine ballots had been cast for Donald Trump, but that statement has since been redacted, to which David Laufman, a former Justice Department official, tweeted, “This is both bizarre and disturbing. U.S. Attorney’s Offices don’t issue reports on pending investigations — and certainly not reports so blatantly contrived to provide political ballast for a sitting President’s campaign narrative.” This case is still being investigated.
Numerous stories regarding complications with absentee ballots have surfaced, and regardless of whether they are cases of intentional fraud or simple misunderstandings, voter anxiety continues to increase.
However, if you’re voting by mail this election season — whether due to health concerns or out-of-state registration — fear not. Mail-in voting, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center, is reliable and secure. Just like in-person voting, mail-in voting is treated with stringent security measures, and the ballots are thoroughly checked to ensure voter eligibility. Make sure that if you cast an absentee ballot, you do it correctly. If not, your vote is at risk of not being counted.
