[valarauko]

Realistically, how would that work for these same group of people? They'd have to know well in advance that they would need postal ballots and complete and return them in advance of election day. Would shift workers working multiple jobs be best served by mail-in voting? tbf I'm not sure if there is a better way, but it seems relying on mail-in ballots helps some people and alienates a different group of people.

[alistairSH]

I was imagining the ballots would be auto-shipped based on voter rolls (which get updated with DMV records in many states - this should also be mandatory).

So, check mail box as normal. Receive ballot. Research candidates (or not) and fill out. Drop in the mailbox. Not much different than paying paper bills.

Who were you imagining would be alienated by mail-in voting?

We could do mandatory extended timeframe/hours in-person voting but that costs a lot more (paying to staff the sites, rent locations because you can't just borrow a school cafeteria for a day like we do now, etc).

[valarauko]

Are you suggesting mail-in ballots as a universal option that covers everybody? That seems unfeasible logistically. Does any large country offer universal mail-in ballots?

I think mail-in ballots best serve voters in an environment where they are the norm, rather than the exception. For example, the campaign cycles, like debates, that target the large segment of undecided voters right before election day. The mail-in voter has to be more informed about candidates and policy than an average voter to come to an equivalent informed decision about their vote weeks before the average voter. Yes, if the goal is to simply increase voter turnout, universal mail-in ballots are probably great. I wonder if that best serves the voter, though - hence my question.

My familiarity is with the Indian electoral system, which is highly regarded (at least within the country). Mail-in ballots are an option for a subset of people, but they make up for it by making polling booths readily accessible - your booth is just a short walk away. Election days are holidays, but I'm sure it still impacts workers in similar ways. Still, voter turnout is usually not too bad. Expanding mail-in voting has been discussed as an option for the very large floating population of migrant workers, but we don't have a solution yet. The logistics of offering universal mail-in ballots for a country approaching 1.4 billion is daunting. Already, the General Elections need to be spaced out over several weeks to allow electoral officials and poll workers to cover the entire country.

[alistairSH]

Are you suggesting mail-in ballots as a universal option that covers everybody? That seems unfeasible logistically. Does any large country offer universal mail-in ballots?

Yes, universal. Oregon (USA) has used universal vote-by-mail for many years now. It's widely considered one of the best systems in the US. Voter rolls are updated by the DMV (or via state websites), everybody receives a ballot by mail prior to the election. Voters can return the ballot by mail, at a drop-box, or they can choose to vote in-person. Voters don't have to vote any earlier - as long as the ballot is post-marked by election day, it will be counted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_Oregon https://states.aarp.org/oregon/election-voting-guide