By Carl Weinschenk
There likely are five or six solid reasons that early voting and mail voting are great ideas. They are not perfect, however.
Both early and mail voting have long existed. They both got a big push from Covid. They are simple and easy to understand–as opposed to ranked choice voting–and are the subject of one of the many battles between Democrats and Republicans.
1. It’s fast: My early voting experience is probably typical. There are virtually no lines. Indeed, the poll watchers seem happy that somebody actually shows up. I generally go on the first or second day. I’d imagine that a bit more stress may be felt as the early voting period winds down. In general, however, it’s low stress. I have never spent more than a few minutes at the polling place either in general election or primary elections.
2. Security fears: Folks worried about ICE, Proud Boys and other riff raff from the right can rest assured that they are safe. Even on election day, the chances that these folks will interfere with your voting are slim to none. After all, there are almost 100,000 polling places in the U.S. But voting early or by mail virtually ensures that you won’t meet up with one of these worrisome folks.
Early voting and the elements, mistakes and other complications
3. Stormy weather: It’s an old truism that voting is down on election day if the weather is bad. I’m not sure if that’s true or not. But if you have trouble getting around and/or live in a place with a tendency for extreme weather, pinning everything on election day could be a mistake. You may wake up to a cratering barometric pressure or a foot of snow and be tempted to stay home.
4. Mistakes happen: Polling places change. You may forget your ID or there may be a problem with your name. There are computer or network glitches. Voting early or by mail gives you time to address these issues. They become annoyances, not things that threaten your ability to cast your ballot.
5. Last minute things occur: People generally know where they will be from day to day. But you may be called out of town to tend to a sick relative, attend an emergency business meeting or for some other reason. You may get grievously ill. Those who vote by mail or early have nothing to worry about–at least from the voting perspective.
6. Help your team: You help your candidate of choice by voting early even if a successful election day vote is assumed. This is true for a couple of reasons. “Banking votes” early is good for the campaign’s morale, last minute fund raising and momentum. It’s a vibe thing. Secondly, every supporter who casts their vote early is one less the campaign has to reach out to on election day. This frees up resources to go after less certain voters.
On the other hand…In the spirit of full disclosure, there is a downside to early or mail voting that should be considered: Once your vote is cast you are done. No backsies. There may be a late breaking scandal or revelation. You may have a change of heart. So, early or mail voting is a good idea for everyone–but especially good for those who are sure of who they support.
Some people like the atmosphere of an old fashion, second Tuesday in November vote. More power to them. Many–and the number is growing–others see voting as a subtly unpleasant but necessary chore. Voting by mail or early is a perfect option for this group.
Here is a deeper dive on early voting from the Brennan Center for Justice.