“My home state of Oregon has led the nation in making voting more accessible. No one has to take time off work just to exercise his or her constitutional rights,” Wyden said. “My proposition is the rest of our country should follow Oregon’s lead and offer all voters a chance to vote by mail.”
Wyden’s draft plan requires every state to provide registered voters the opportunity to cast their ballots in the mail. Under his proposal, all registered voters will
receive ballots in the mail weeks before Election Day, allowing them to
carefully research candidates well ahead of time.
By providing the opportunity to cast ballots in the mail, voters will be able to avoid long lines at polling stations and won’t have to take time off work to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed right to vote. The federal government, through the Unites States Postal Service (USPS), will assist states with the costs of mailing ballots to
registered voters.
According to the Senator, vote by mail has deterred voter fraud by implementing security measures such as a signature authentication system. Oregon’s system also prevents potential fraud by centralizing ballot processing in the county clerk’s office, rather than at various polling sites.
