I am really nervous about the vote by mail system. It is great that it helps voter participation, but I really don't like that it effectively eliminates the secret ballot. Do you remember in 2012 when a coal company in Ohio forced their employees to attend a Romney rally? Companies could likewise put pressure on employees to vote a certain way. They could have a voting party in which everyone fills out their ballot at work while having a pot luck. Or, spouses, or young adults could be pressured into voting a certain way while at home. I barely missed out on being old enough to vote in 2000, but if I had been 18 and we had vote by mail, I know my dad would be hovering over me while I filled out my ballot. I don't think he would have explicitly punished me or kicked me out for voting the wrong way, but if I didn't vote Republican, he would have yelled at me and made a ruckus about how I'm a communist and how not voting conservative would lead to 1984 and totalitarianism.
Personally, I would rather replace the mail in ballot with a week or two of early voting and each election day (primary or general) would be a federal holiday. Also, I'd like there to be an adequate number of working voting machines in each polling station so voters don't have to wait in very long lines. If we did that, I'd gladly ditch the mail in voting system.
All in all, what are your thoughts? Is the ease of voting worth the elimination of the secret ballot?
Personally, I would rather replace the mail in ballot with a week or two of early voting and each election day (primary or general) would be a federal holiday. Also, I'd like there to be an adequate number of working voting machines in each polling station so voters don't have to wait in very long lines. If we did that, I'd gladly ditch the mail in voting system.
All in all, what are your thoughts? Is the ease of voting worth the elimination of the secret ballot?