Americans want to vote, and they want to be able to do it by mail

Today I did something that I haven’t done in 20 years – I voted by mail.

I did not request the ballot. It was sent to me courtesy of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who decided after postponing the primary election because of the pandemic that every registered voter would receive a ballot in the mail. Filling in the ballot was quick and easy, the instructions were clear and I did it in my pajamas over a cup of coffee. When I finished, I sealed the postage-paid envelope and signed a statement saying I understood that if I violated the state elections law, I would face a $1,000 fine, two years in prison or both.

So, what is all the fuss? President Donald Trump is making outrageous and unfounded claims of “tremendous” voter fraud with vote by mail, while some Republicans and the conservative media are parroting the same. Trump’s recent threats to withhold federal funding from Michigan in light of its secretary of state’s move to expand vote by mail comes as Texas Republicans make a hard charge in federal court to stop efforts there.

Is the president, fearful of his re-election prospects, willing to abuse the prerogatives of his office and force citizens to endanger their health in order to vote? Sadly, the answer is “yes.”

Indeed, Trump said the quiet part out loud a few weeks ago when he admitted his real fear about early voting and vote by mail: “You’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.” Trouble is, like so many claims by this president, there is simply no evidence to support it.

It is worth noting that Democrats also have concerns about universal vote by mail and its impact on turnout among their base voters – but those concerns are about participation, not fraud. However, a recent analysis of 2016 voters found little demographic difference in use of mail ballots, except with age – older voters are more likely to vote by mail than younger voters. And, contrary to oft-repeated political wisdom, black voters are slightly more open to voting by mail than white voters.

Here’s a fact for the president: More than one-quarter of voters cast their ballots by mail in the 2018 election, and that number is likely to increase in the novel coronavirus era. As evidence, the April primary in Wisconsin, in the midst of the pandemic, saw the voter turnout among the highest in 40 years, with more than 70 percent of votes coming from absentee ballots. Another fact: A recent survey by Pew Research Center found that 70 percent of Americans believe that anyone who wants to vote by mail should be allowed to do so.

Simply put, Americans want to be able to vote by mail in November. Voters may be afraid of coronavirus, but they are not afraid to vote by mail. We should be making it easier and not more difficult. Contrary to Trump’s assertions, voting by mail neither increases voter fraud nor gives Democrats an unfair advantage. It is one of the least partisan, most popular activities in our democracy. As to Democrats’ fears, this is not a partisan issue. Research by the Democracy and Polarization Lab at Stanford University found that voting by mail does not increase party share or turnout by party and only increases overall turnout “modestly,” although that last finding may change with the looming pandemic.

With so much at stake, both parties must figure out how to continue voter contact and to make work vote by mail, drop-box balloting, in-person voting and every method they can conceive for voters to exercise their franchise safely and securely. While politics takes a backseat to medical professionals, this moment might provide the time needed to play catch-up for the massive job ahead in November – recruiting poll workers, printing, mailing and counting ballots. The challenge for Democrats and Republicans in the age of coronavirus is to teach and encourage those who are accustomed to voting in person to vote by mail, while still preserving a safe option for voting in person.

Come November, we will see the patriots who stand with voters vs. the partisans who stand in the way. Sadly, Republicans missed an important opportunity by failing to support adequate funding for elections in the recent coronavirus funding packages – only $400 million was allocated to states to shore up their voting infrastructure, far less than the estimated $2 billion that’s needed. The next package should make up that difference so that states have sufficient resources to conduct a successful November election, including full funding for the U.S. Postal Service to meet its responsibility to deliver ballots safely.

Since I expect to still be concerned about the coronavirus in the fall, I look forward to voting by mail then. The only thing I missed about going to the polls in person was my coveted “I voted” sticker, so election officials should figure that out, too.

Edwards represented Maryland’s 4th District for five terms in Congress.