Press Release
JANUARY 10, 2007
CONGRESSWOMAN SUSAN
DAVIS INTRODUCES
BILL TO PROMOTE VOTING EQUALITY
Davis seeks to end vote by mail restrictions
WASHINGTON - To promote voting fairness and security, Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA) introduced legislation to allow all eligible voters nationwide to vote by mail in federal elections.
Currently, there are 22 states that restrict an eligible voter's ability to vote by mail, also known as absentee. Depending on the state, restrictions apply to various categories of people, including the elderly, individuals with disabilities or illness, members of the military, or students. Twenty-eight states, including California, permit voting by mail for any reason. Oregon conducts its elections entirely by mail.
"This issue is a matter of fairness," said Davis, a former President of the League of Women Voters in San Diego. "Why should voters in one state be denied a privilege that voters in other states have when voting in federal elections? While I personally enjoy the ritual of going to the polls to vote, I know that getting to the polls on Election Day is often difficult. And for some, it is impossible. For many Americans, every day is a juggling act. A commitment to a job or family should not hinder someone from participating in one of the most hallowed acts of a democracy - voting."
The Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act (H.R. 281) would simply require states to provide a vote by mail option to all eligible voters in that state.
Studies have also indicated that adding the option to vote by mail increases voter participation without creating a partisan advantage for one political party over the other. In California, there has been a thirty percent increase in voter participation since the inception of universal mail ballots in 1978. Forty percent of voters in San Diego County voted by mail in the November 2006 election.
Absentee voting also provides a secure alternative for voters who have concerns about other voting mechanisms. In recent years, irregularities with electronic voting machines have caused many voters to lose faith in the integrity of our voting system. Mail ballots offer a clear, traceable record of voters' intentions and are not subject to computer hacking, electrical failures, and other malfunctions.