Originally Posted by James Brown
The Colorado system is smart and effective. I'd like to see it widely implemented:
1. All registered voters get a ballot mailed to them at their official address.
2. All ballots have to be received by election day or they do not count. No exceptions, except maybe overseas military.
3. Some (about 40%) mail the ballot back - you are strongly encouraged to do this at least a week in advance.
4. Most return the ballot to secure drop-off boxes that are nearly everywhere.
5. A few still vote their ballot at a polling place. Serious procrastinators I guess. This is less than 1%
6. Status emails are sent regularly (Your ballot is in the mail, Your ballot has been received back, Your ballot has been accepted etc.)
7. The counties and precincts canvass the signed envelopes as they come in, I'm not sure if they count the ballots all along, but we always have the results a few hours after the polls close.
Easy peasy. The simplicity of our system is why Colorado has a nation leading 89% turnout among registered voters. Of course, making it easy to vote makes it easy for occasional voters, millennials and the like to actually vote. I suppose this in part explains the rapid switch of Colorado from a swing state in 2012 to a reliably blue state in 2020. But is anyone going to argue that this is a bad thing? The republicans need to adapt to the new voter demographics or die. I think that the 2020 vote in the House and statehouses suggests that the Rs are adapting, although maybe too slowly. We'll see in 2024.
Jim
Jim,
I have mixed feelings about proactively mailing a ballot to everyone. It would be nice to see some actual effort put forth by voters but I guess that is asking too much. As long as the security of the process can be maintained I dontr have a big problem with it. I just don't think in a post pandemic world we can continue to accept ballots after election day, which has been the case in several states.
