11/22/2014
The 2014 election in California and in Nevada County shows that vote-by-mail is increasingly popular. Should voting by “absentee ballot” be the only option in California and/or Nevada County? Statistically, (and all data is pending final results) the number of people registered to vote in California is 17,803,823, and in Nevada County it’s 61,706. There are 7,120,084 registered voters who cast ballots in November 2014 in California. If 1/2 voted absentee (the current average) that would equal over 3,500,000 absentee ballots. In Nevada County there were 39,792 ballots cast and of those 30,211 absentee ballot voters and 9,581 Election Day booth voters. Of those who voted on election day about 8,330 brought an absentee ballot to a polling place in Nevada County. There are also 1,053 additional Provisional ballots. Therefore, 17,911 or 37% of voters showed up at a polling location on Election Day, and 21,881 or 63% sent in their ballot.
Why are these numbers significant? The percentage of voters in California who actually voted = 40.0% in November 2014. The percentage of absentee voters who voted in November 2014 is not yet known (including those who mailed their ballots plus those who brought their ballot to a polling location). In California Vote by Mail ballot use has been increasing steadily. In the General election in 1992 there were 1,950,179 or 17.15% Absentee ballots cast, in 2002 - 2,096,094 or 27.09% and in 2012 - 6,753,688 05 51.16%. The data is not yet available for 2014. In Nevada County the percentage of voters in who actually voted in November 2014 is still being calculated. That final report could be available by November 26, 2014.
Incidentally, our neighbor, Sierra County has only Vote-By-Mail ballots and although they only have 2229 registered voters, 1627 of those people or 73% did vote in November 2014. Our neighboring state Oregon also has only Vote-By Mail ballots had 2,185,690 eligible voters and 1,519,804 returned ballots or 69.5% in November 2014. Unlike a number of other countries, including Australia, the United States does not yet require voting. Countries that enforce compulsory voting include Argentina, Australia, Austria (two Lander only), Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Cyprus, Ecuador, Fiji, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Nauru, Peru, Singapore, Switzerland (one Canton only), Turkey, and Uruguay.
Full disclosure – I am a vote-by-mail voter. I like to have my ballot at the dining table to discuss candidates and issues with my wife. It helps me think critically about people and measures appearing on the election ballot. I don’t always mail my ballot in right away, sometimes I take it to the County elections office in the days preceding the election, and sometimes I bring it to a polling place on Election Day. I like having those options.
The California Legislature could consider a ballot measure for the November 2016 election that mandates absentee ballots for all California Counties. Many County Election officials endorse this alternative as a possible cost saving measure for local government(s). There will be safeguards built into the system that address any potential voter fraud. Nevada County Registrar Greg Diaz also supports a hybrid absentee voting option that adds Vote Centers in several locations throughout our County. These Centers could encourage voters, especially older and/or disabled voters to submit their absentee ballot starting a week or so preceding Election Day. The Vote Centers could also provide a ballot for voters who hadn’t received their ballot. Whether or not the California Legislature moves forward with a proposal, Nevada County voters should look at the pluses and minuses of such a proposal.
First, the possible pluses: saving money, increased voter participation, and quicker tabulation of results. Second, the possible minuses: not going to a voting booth on Election Day. Nevada County spends $450,000 on average for each consolidated (Primary & General) election usually every two years. Savings potentially derived by instituting an Absentee Ballot only election procedure would be offset, in part, by hiring people to authenticate ballots (Absentee & Provisional) brought to proposed ballot Vote Center locations leading up to, on and following Election Day.
The opportunity to increase voter participation outweighs any historic hanging on to diminished voter participation. It is the responsibility of citizens to be active participants in their government. Vote-By-Mail ballots increase voter participation. Nevada County can investigate moving forward with this option regardless of what the State of California does.
