Kansas - Johnson County Election Workers spent Memorial Day Weekend sending out roughly 380,000 Applications for Mail Ballots, one to Every Registered Voter in the State’s most Populous County.

Kansas has Allowed Voters to Cast Ballots by Mail for Any reason since 1996. But the Unprecedented Move by County Officials reflects COVID-19’s impact on the Mechanics and Politics of Voting in 2020. Their hope is to Prevent Long Lines in August and November.

But it’s actually the State’s Smaller GOP-leaning Counties where Voters are Requesting them at the Highest Rate. As of this week, 13 Rural Counties had Processed Mail Ballot Applications for 10% or more of their Registered Voters.

Trego County, a Western Kansas County of less than 3,000 people, had 24.2% of its Registered Voters Request Mail Ballots. Republic and Sheridan, Two other Small Rural Counties, were Close behind with 22.9% and 19.1% respectively. All Three Counties are part of the Heavily Republican 1st Congressional District, currently Represented by Rep. Roger Marshall (R-1st District), who is running for a U.S. Senate Seat.

Marshall embodies the Party’s Conflicting Sentiments on Mail Voting. During a Virtual Town Hall on FOX 4 KC last week, he Praised Kansas’ Election System, which uses Mail Ballots widely, while also Objecting to Efforts to Expand Mail Voting Nationally.

Asked to Clarify the Congressman’s Comments, Marshall’s Spokesman, Eric Pahls, said in a Statement that the Congressman “supports local decision-making, and knows a national one-size-fits-all mail approach would be a disaster.” Pahls added that Marshall “believes in the need for greater scrutiny into the entire mail-in process to ensure fraud and illegal harvesting are rooted out.”

Marshall’s Top Rival for the GOP Nomination for Senate, former Kansas, Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), has also Criticized Efforts to Expand Mail Voting Nationally even though Every Election he Oversaw during his Two Terms as the Top Election Official featured Mail-In Ballots.

Michigan - The enormous, Bipartisan popularity for a Long-Accepted and Convenient Method of Voting was apparent in 2018 in Michigan, when the Vast Majority of Voters Cast Ballots to Amend the State Constitution to ensure Every Voter had a Choice to Vote-by-Mail in every Election.

Absentee Voting Rates skyrocket in the March 10th, 2020, Presidential Primary, before there were any known Cases of Coronavirus. Then in early May 2020, Local Elections, during the height of the Pandemic, Primarily by Mail Demonstrated that even in the Midst of a Crisis, Safe and Secure Elections are possible. Every Registered Voter was Mailed an Application and Instructions to Request their Ballot through the Mail and Vote from Home.

The Result was that Turnout Doubled from previous May Elections and 99% of Voters Cast their Ballots by Mail or at a Ballot Dropbox. Despite the Record Turnout, In-Person Voting Locations were Calm, Clean, and Safe. There were Zero Reports of Fraud. The Success of Both Elections made very clear that Voters want the Option to Vote-by-Mail and that even in a Pandemic, Elections can be Safe, Secure, and Accurate, when Voters know they can and how to Vote-by-Mail.

Both Elections also taught Executive Officials in Michigan Valuable Lessons, and now Voters, are asking State Legislature to Adopt a Policy to further Protect Voters and their Rights.

There are Four Primary ways that Legislation could Improve Voting-by-Mail in Michigan:

First - Enabling Election Workers to Process, but Not Count, Mail-In Ballots Prior to Election Day, would give them a Better Chance of Reporting Results on Election Night, and make it possible for more Workers to Deploy to Polling Locations on Election Day. Such Laws are already in place in at least 18 other States. Many Michigan Clerks say ideally they would have Three Full Additional Days to Process Ballots to Prepare for the Election Day Vote Count.

Second - We want the Legislature to Codify our Guidance that Clerks should Contact Voters when they Receive an Absentee Voter Ballot with a Signature that they believe does Not match the Signature on the Voter’s Application and/or Registration. This would provide Assurance to Voters that their Ballots were Accepted when Lawfully Cast and be in the Best Interest of the Election.

Third - Michigan Clerks saw Many Ballots arrive in the Mail after Election Day this Spring. Legislation that would Allow All Ballots Postmarked by Election Day, in November, to be Counted would give Voters the same Flexibility and Clarity they have when Filing their Taxes.

Fourth - The Majority, but Not All Election Clerks in Michigan maintain a Permanent Absentee Voter List. This is for Voters who have Stated that they want to be Mailed an Application to Vote-by-Mail ahead of Every Election. There are about 1.3 Million voters on this List, out of about 7.7 Million Registered voters in the State. Legislation could make Maintenance of such Lists a Requirement for All Jurisdictions, ensuring that All Voters are afforded the Same Opportunity.

Philadelphia, PA - As of May 28th, 2020, about 1.3 million Registered Democrats had Requested and been Approved for Mail Ballots for the June 2nd Primary Election, compared with about 524,000 Republicans. Republicans made just 29% of the Requests, even though they Represent 38% of Registered Voters in the State and 45% of those Registered with either Major Party.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker