The Easiest Way to Cheat

The More People that Vote Absentee, the More Vulnerable are Our Elections

‘If I wanted to cheat an election, what is the easiest way to cheat?’

This question was asked of two top level executives of ES&S and both responded, without hesitation, ‘Absentee Ballots’.

Click image to view video clip

Who is ES&S? They are the largest supplier of voting systems in the US and the provider of voting systems in over 30 counties right here in Idaho. The executives go on to say that it is the consensus in the industry that absentee voting holds the most potential for fraud.

Other data supports their claim. Since 1978, as absentee voting became more prevalent, at least 16 elections have been compromised with absentee voting fraud.

• Fourteen cases covered here

• Heritage article on four cases here

• Additional cases since 2020 election

Since absentee voting is the biggest threat to our elections, shouldn’t we prioritize any solutions that can mitigate that threat?

Absentee Voting Less Secure Than In-Person

When you vote in-person, several poll workers and even poll watchers observe the process. They validate that nothing untoward is going on. They insure your vote is cast in secret, free of coercion or bribes. They watch you place your ballot into the tabulator or ballot box.

This is not so with absentee voting. Absentee voting is ‘unobserved voting’. There are no poll workers watching the process and we know from the court cases linked above that people have devised multiple ways of gaming the absentee vote. For example, ballot harvesters can pressure or bribe people into handing over their ballots, even getting the real voter to sign the outer envelope. Signature verification is the primary means of validating absentee ballots, but if the signature is legitimate, it is worthless.

USPS Chain of Custody Lacking Transparency

Even if you do cast your absentee vote in secret and seal it in the envelope, once it is deposited with the USPS, the chain of custody is unknown. The USPS has blocked efforts of election integrity groups to witness the absentee ballot process and provides no documentation on their procedures or what checks and balances are in place to prevent fraud.

There are frequent stories, like the sampling above, of ballots found in trash cans or simply ‘lost in the mail’. There is a very disturbing story of a USPS contractor who claimed (under oath) to have delivered hundreds of thousands of ballots into Pennsylvania in 2020. The heavily redacted findings of the Inspector General are here, but even if the driver’s sworn testimony is disregarded, the lax handling and reporting were evident in the IG’s report.

Absentee Voter Errors 100 Times In-Person Errors

Studies have shown that errors made with absentee voting are 100 times that of in-person voting. Signature issues and delayed delivery make up most of those problems but absentee voters also do not have the ability to have trained staff available to assist them with any questions about their ballot or the voting process.

Preserve Absentee Voting for Those That Need It

Despite the vulnerabilities of absentee voting, it is necessary to preserve the right to vote when a citizen cannot vote in-person, either early or on election day. But convenience should never compromise the integrity of the vote and the court cases prove that is exactly what absentee voting can do. The more people that vote absentee, the more potential there is for fraud that can swing an election.

Has this Happened in Idaho?

There is no hard evidence that it has, but it is also very difficult to prove. We are not immune to many of the cheating techniques used in other states. Should a bank not take security precautions even if they have never been robbed?

In the most recent BSU public survey, Idahoans were asked how they feel about Idaho elections. Over 2/3rds responded favorably. When asked about elections in other states, over half had concerns. We do many things right to warrant that positive view, but all it will take is one incident of absentee fraud to torpedo that reputation.

Support HB139

So what can Idaho citizen’s do? House Bill 139 would require an excuse in order to vote absentee. This is nothing new but a return to what it once was. Over a dozen states still require an excuse to vote absentee and on average, they score significantly higher in the Heritage election integrity ranking system than states that do not. We are seeing in states that require an excuse that absentee voting is used by about 4% of the voters as opposed to over 20% here in Idaho (and growing). Given that absentee voting fraud is the most vulnerable aspect of our elections, the best way to secure our elections is by getting people to vote in-person instead of absentee.

Here is a link to more detailed information on the bill and how it addresses the root cause of absentee voting fraud. The link also provides talking points to convey to your legislators.

These are the active representatives that voted against excuse-only absentee voting when a similar bill was considered in 2023. You can request they support HB139 so that Idaho’s elections are secure. Let’s not have what has happened elsewhere happen here!

NOTE: You can find out who your legislator is and get contact information for them here.