http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/20121127__Governor_wants_all_elections_conducted_via_mail.html?id=180950321
Some saying that having all-mail elections are convenient, being that people don't have to stand in long lines, plus there's less need for election workers.
However, an all-mail election system takes away THE MAIN REASON why our democratic system is great.
That is ---- You can go into a voting booth and NOBODY CAN SEE HOW YOU VOTED!
You can vote here without worrying about anyone looking over your shoulder.
That is to protect the voter from intimidation and peer pressure.
Having a voting booth with privacy settings allows you to vote how you truly think, instead of vote for who my parents like or vote for who my friends like or vote who my spouse like.
With an all-mailing election system, you could easily have such scenarios including but not limited to
1) young adult living at home with his parents while attending college. Parents say "you better vote this way or else I'll stop paying for your college tuition!"
2) someone living with an abusive spouse! You know what can happen with that!
3) The employer tells employee "you better bring your ballots to my office and I better see you vote the right way!" Same could apply to union bosses as well.
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These are all possible scenarios of voter intimidation that could happen with mail-in balloting systems!
Even if the government makes bans on such scenarios, it could still easily happen with an all-mail election system!
Unless politicians want voter intimidation (maybe that's why they want to do away with voting booths), they should say HELL NO to an all-mail voting system!
PS: yes, I did work as an election poll worker this year (and in 2006). Some might call that a "conflict of interest" when writing this blog post.
But I believe in having polling places, otherwise, I wouldn't have helped out as a poll worker.
