Debunking 6 Myths About Voting By Mail

The truth behind claims of voter fraud, partisan advantage, and unsolicited ballots.

With the coronavirus pandemic still looming, steps are being taken to make sure eligible voters are able to cast their ballots safely and securely this November. Because of this, vote-by-mail methods are getting a lot more attention than usual -- and not always in the most positive ways.

There’s a lot of misinformation floating around out there about voting by mail, and with more and more voters considering their options for Election Day, it’s crucial that we set the record straight. Here are six myths about voting by mail, debunked.

1) MYTH: Absentee ballots are more secure than mail-in ballots.

Absentee ballots have historically described mailed ballots cast by folks who have an excuse to be “absent” from their voting jurisdiction on Election Day (due to things like hospitalization, military service, physical disability, etc.). In 34 states and Washington, D.C., folks can regularly participate in “no-excuse absentee voting,” meaning they can vote by absentee even if they are physically available on Election Day, just for the convenience of it. (And this year, only five states are requiring an excuse beyond COVID-19 to vote absentee in November!).

As these policies developed over time, and the “absent” part of absentee voting became less rigid, election officials have called them a lot of different things: advanced ballots, vote-by-mail ballots, mail ballots, etc.

In most cases, the terms “absentee ballots” and “mail-in ballots” are interchangeable, as they both refer to ballots that are sent and/or received outside of a polling place. In just a handful of states, “mail-in ballot” refers specifically to their universal mail-in voting policies -- where all registered voters are automatically sent their ballots via mail (more on that below).

2) MYTH: Voting by mail is a new concept this election year.

Mail-in voting may be especially in the spotlight this year because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but it’s been around for a long time. Absentee voting goes as far back as the Civil War, and no-excuse absentee voting has been a thing for about 40 years now. Even prior to this election, every state offers some form of vote-by-mail, whether for an approved excuse or just convenience

In fact, five states (Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington) always conduct their elections primarily by mail, in which all registered voters receive a mailed ballot by default (that universal mail-in voting mentioned above!). Oregon, the first of the bunch to adopt universal mail-in voting, has been doing it successfully for decades.

3) MYTH: Voting by mail encourages states to send out unsolicited ballots, including to those ineligible to vote.

The majority of states that offer methods to vote by mail require voters to request a ballot ahead of time if they’re planning to vote absentee.

The exceptions are universal mail-in voting states, which include the five that have historically conducted their elections this way, and four that are adopting it in 2020. In these states, ballots are automatically sent only to those with active voter registrations -- not to every person in the state

4) MYTH: Voting by mail is less secure than voting in person.

Because states have been doing this for a while, they have A LOT of measures in place to make sure that mail ballots are secure and that election integrity is maintained. Here are some examples, sourced from the Brennan Center for Justice:

Verifying identity: Voters must provide their personal information and signature, which election officials match against voter rolls.
Bar codes: Some states assign barcodes to each ballot, making it easier for officials to track ballots and identify duplicates. Voters can also use them to make sure their ballots have been received.
Secure drop-off locations: Some voters opt to drop-off their ballots in a designated location prior to Election Day, and states take steps to make them as secure as possible. Drop boxes are constructed to be tamper-proof, and they’re often supervised by election officials or equipped with security cameras.
Penalties: States discourage voter fraud (which is a federal crime) by enacting their own criminal and civil penalties in addition to the hefty fines and prison sentences available under federal law.

5) MYTH: Voting by mail favors one political party over another.

Several studies have found no evidence that vote-by-mail methods give either party an advantage. The majority of those voting by mail are folks who were already most likely to vote anyway.

Looking specifically at universal mail-in voting states, research has found that mail-in voting doesn’t significantly impact either party’s share of votes. Slight partisan advantages have been found in some universal mail-in elections, favoring both Republicans and Democrats at different times and locations.

Some studies suggest vote-by-mail methods may just lead to increased voter turnout in general, and greater civic participation is an overall win for our democracy.

6) MYTH: Voting by mail leads to increased voter fraud.

Several studies have found that voter fraud is exceedingly rare in general, and more often linked to other factors (like administrative errors) than vote-by-mail methods.

A report from The Brennan Center for Justice determined that incident rates of voter fraud are between 0.0003% and 0.0025% (less than the chance of being struck by lightning).
The Washington Post's investigation of voter fraud in the 2016 election found only four documented cases and a few dozen potential cases of voter fraud. Just one documented case was linked to absentee voting.
According to The Heritage Foundation, Oregon, the state that’s conducted universal mail-in voting for the longest, has reported 14 cases of voter fraud related to mail-in voting over the span of 19 years and 15 million votes.

(You can look through this comprehensive list of credible research and investigations conducted on voter fraud for more information.)