Which would be a better idea?
Do you have the option for both? I prefer mail (in fact, my state is all-mail, unless you go to one of a few walk-in locations) because I can work on the ballot at home, at my convenience, and not deal with crowds on election day.
Yes, I think so. I do enjoy turning out to vote. If I did by mail, I would do it at the earliest opportunity.
I usually vote by mail, but I plan to go in person this time. I expect shenanigans.
The very first time I voted was in person at my old elementary school and the volunteer who checked me in recognized me as a classmate of one of her children (though I had no idea who she was). And in 2016, I made a point of voting in person because I recognized the election of Barack Obama was a big deal. So in theory I kind of like the idea of voting in person and meeting the neighbors. But practically speaking, voting by mail is easier.
I like to wait until close to the election day for mail-in, just in case something arises. One year, the city council member I was likely to vote for got arrested for beating up his wife a week or so before the election.
Yeah, I agree.
But as I’ve been mail-in since 2008, I’m used to it now. I drop my ballot off at a drop-in ballot box, and give a nod to the other folks there for the same reason.
It depends on what the goal is.
If the goal it to to sure one’s preference is counted, I’d think that the probability of illness or emergency stopping me from voting on Election Day is greater than the chances of my ballot being lost in the mail. So mail gets the nod.
But if you enjoy saying hi to neighbors at the polling place — and that makes sense to me — go for it.
P.S. We have drop off boxes in my state, but I have a hard time seeing why they are more (or less) secure than U.S. mail.
?Year?
Sorry; 2008.
(BTW, about fifteen or twenty years ago, my father was asked to run for the regional high school district board, as the local Democratic Party was trying to rebuild trust in the school board after some issues involving the budget. So when my parents went to vote, they brought one of my brother’s kids and the volunteer offered to let my mother bring my nephew into the booth with her. That was when the town still used those old-fashioned booths with the curtain you pulled behind you and the little levers to select who you were voting for.)
Early voting, but in person.
I don’t know what the mail service is like where you live, but we regularly get letters addressed to other houses on our block, similar-sounding streets (think “Lake St” versus “Lake Ave”) that are in a different part of the village, or on at least one recent occasion a somewhat-similar street and identical house number in an utterly different STATE. And packages ordered have resulted in emails showing a photo of our missing package sitting on someone else’s door stoop god knows where.
I’m an expat. I vote by email.
Being a lazy person in a red state, I’d vote by mail simply because it requires minimal effort.
If I lived in a swing state where my vote mattered, though, I’d vote in person because I’m more concerned about whoever harvests my ballot tampering with it.
Canadian here, so it’s a bit different. We generally don’t have multiple elections at the same time or referendums on the ballot, so actually filling in the ballot is quick. The most complicated are municipal elections where we vote for mayor, city councillor, and school board rep.
I’ve voted in person every time with the exception of the thick of Covid, where I’ve mailed in my ballot. I occasionally use the advanced in person voting if I will be travelling or just for convenience.
Canadian also, and it’s just as @FinsToTheLeft described. It’s one vote for Member of Parliament, in and out in about a minute. And at another time, it’s one vote for Member of Legislative Assembly (Member of Provincial Parliament), again, in and out in about a minute. And at another time, it’s for municipal offices. That takes the most time of all, as in my city, we vote for Mayor, eight Councillors, and some school trustees.
I cannot imagine voting for President, state representatives, Senators, municipal offices, judges, dogcatchers, whatever, all on the same day.
UK Voter chiming in
I’ve always favoured voting in person, voters use a secret ballot, which ensures that their choices are not visible to others. We are not allowed to take photographs of the voting slip and this protects voters from coercion, intimidation, or undue influence.
It is however becoming much more common to have postal votes here, and I can understand that in person voting makes more sense in sparsley populated communities (my voting station is a 3 minute walk away)
By mail because that is how WA votes. I voted with an absentee ballot for year while in the military. I only ever went to a polling place once. I never want to vote any other way except by mail or absentee in the future.
I vote in person because I generally wake up early and there is no line when the polls first open. I get to have my coffe and meet my neighbors. And I like the idea that my vote gets counted on election day, not that its a big deal.
If I know I will be out of town I have no issue with mail in voting.
Regularly, or less than 1 percent? If so, we as well. But less than 1 percent of days, I’m too ill to leave the house, and could not possible stand in line to vote, or even go to the polling place .
And the mailpieces that went to the wrong house are never election mail. Postal management gets out the word to be careful about election mail, as every filled in ballot sent to a residence risks a news story.
See:
UK voter here. I always vote in person - election centres are numerous and therefore there are never queues, even when I lived in London, and I love the buzz of election day. I often take my dog for a photo outside too, which is a bit of a Twitter/X thing.
This. It’s one time where I can be the youngest person in the room.