Have you ever taken a tour of your local elections office? I have, and other members of the League of Women Voters around Oregon have done the same. If I had to choose one word to describe the processes there, it would be “secure.” If I were able to choose two words, they would be “secure” and “impressive.”
It’s difficult to imagine why those intent on escalating polarization wars for their own political gain choose to attack the Oregon vote-by-mail system that has multiple safeguards. Such naysayers who claim they only intend to stop non-citizens from voting have been accused (rightfully) of inventing an issue with little actual evidence.
A “solution looking for a problem” it is said; but it’s much more dangerous than that. Data show that fraudulent ballots are extremely rare in Oregon and not a crisis. Conversely, the perilous effects of voter intimidation and suppression are becoming major concerns.
Whether you describe our country as a democracy, a republic or a democratic republic, we are in this together and want to protect our freedoms and rights. Falsehoods, half-truths and dis/misinformation are not the way to maintain free and fair elections; instead, they suppress the voice of fellow citizens.
We can’t always be on the winning side of an election, but the process of casting ballots to express our views is how we shape the world we want. And once they are cast, our votes must be respected, no matter the results. Many county clerks have been harassed and intimidated but continue to defend your voice and your right to vote.
False claims spread misinformation, are inaccurate and misleading, and weaken the common good of our state.
Here is a Top Ten list of facts regarding Oregon’s vote-by-mail procedures.
- Oregon safeguards mail ballots by verifying signatures, tracking barcodes, using auditable logging requirements and setting clear chains of custody for all ballots.
- There is no connection to the internet from voting equipment, nor does tabulation ever use connected routers.
- Pairs of bipartisan staff work together examining each ballot.
- Both pre- and post-election tests are conducted on voting equipment. Additionally, there are opportunities for public observation of the ballot counting processes.
- Vote-by-mail does not favor one party over another, nor is it significantly more prevalent in urban or rural areas. Indeed, it has increased voter turnout between 2-5% since its inception. (The majority of Oregonians are automatically registered as nonaffiliated when first presenting ID for state-issued cards.)
- Providing a paper trail, the vote-by-mail system allows for regular risk-limiting audits, permitting a double-check of the vote count and identification of any irregularities that need to be resolved.
- Non-citizens are already restricted from voting. Strict penalties are issued for any non-citizen, or citizen, attempting to cast a prohibited ballot or tampering with the process. Luckily, it is not a significant problem. According to the Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office report of the vote-by-mail system across 20 years of voting, and with approximately 61 million ballots cast, the voter fraud rate in Oregon was 0.00006%. (I believe this is a ratio equivalent to one drop to more than 22 gallons of water.)
- Voters in Oregon are allowed to drop off ballots belonging to others (such as spouse, parents, neighbors). It is not “ballot harvesting.”
- Deniers who proclaim there are more people on the voter rolls than qualified voters don’t report that we maintain both inactive and active voters on rolls, but only ACTIVE registered voters can receive and cast their ballot.
- There is a reason a voter may receive 2 ballots. As the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported, you can easily switch parties in Oregon to take part in a primary. This year, Oregonians have until April 28 to do so; however the ballots are often printed and prepared for sending ahead of that. If you change your party and receive a second ballot, you can only vote on the one provided from your recent party change. Anyone attempting to cast both ballots will be caught.
No matter how busy our lives are, with vote-by-mail ballots we can make time to sit at our kitchen table and participate in our democracy (getting our ballots in the mail at least a week before the election). Let’s get our facts straight and make sure we don’t spread false claims about our convenient and safe system.
Barbara Klein is first vice president of the League of Women Voters Oregon and the action chair for the league in Rogue Valley. She has been involved with the league at local, state and national levels for years and has worked in other volunteer positions. She’s a published author, with degrees in music therapy, special education and health care administration and holds a doctorate in chiropractic medicine. This guest commentary is from news partner Oregon Capital Chronicle, and it may or may not reflect the views of The Corvallis Advocate, or its management, staff, supporters and advertisers.
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