This year’s presidential election has been full of skepticism about mail-in voting. Votes are coming in late, votes are not being counted and Americans across the country are finding different ways to insult the system.
The presidential race is dying down, and many states are facing criticism. The Trump campaign has demanded recounts and filed lawsuits in Wisconsin, Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Voter fraud has been a concern in states throughout America long before the election started. With the polls being so close between Biden and Trump, both sides were worried that a small amount of fraud could sway the election either way.
With mail-in voting playing a big part in this year’s election, states had to take extra precautions to prevent fraud through the polls. One way states worked to prevent voter fraud this year was signature requirements.
Signature requirements were placed in all 50 states when it comes to mail-in and absentee ballots, 32 states require a signature for in-person voting as well.This precaution ensured the ballot was filled out by the right person. 32 states require a signature for in-person voting as well.
Former Pleasant Valley student, Grant Aller, voted by mail and complied to the signature requirement. “I was a bit skeptical about mail-in voting when it came time for me to fill out my ballot,” said Aller. “But I felt better about my vote after signing my ballot.”
Jackson McLaughlin, another recent graduate from Pleasant Valley opted not to choose the mail-in option. “I chose to drive home from college to cast my ballot in person,” said McLaughlin. “This made me feel more safe that my ballot would not be interfered with.”
One relatively new requirement to U.S elections is witness requirements. This requirement makes the voter have a witness watch them fill-out their ballot to confirm it was filled out by the person who it was addressed to. Although this is most common at in-person polling places, seven states use it for mail-in voting, with more planning in future elections.
Iowa does not require a witness with mail-in voting, but Aller still has praise for the requirements. “I think it’s a good idea and will definitely help with voter fraud,” stated Aller. “It’s important that the ballots are filled out by the right person.”
As mail-in voting becomes more prominent across the country, threats of voter fraud are rising everywhere. Lucky for the citizens of America, states are doing what it takes to provide a safe and fair election process.
