In 1998, Oregon became the first state to implement vote by mail (VBM) for state elections.[footnote]Camhi, \u201cHow Oregon Became the First.\u201d[\/footnote]<\/sup> While Oregon voters could cast a ballot via mail in many local elections since 1981, their ability to do so in statewide elections was challenged for many years. The state legislature previously passed a law to do so in 1995 that was vetoed by their governor. After previous efforts stalled, voters utilized the initiative to begin utilizing VBM in statewide elections by approving Measure 60 with 69 percent of the vote.[footnote]Ballotpedia, \u201cOregon Measure 60, Vote by Mail.\u201d[\/footnote]<\/sup><\/p>\r\n Rather than having to identify and visit the polling location on Election Day, VBM is one of many convenience voting reforms that states are utilizing. Today, seven additional states and Washington, DC, have joined Oregon in holding all-mail elections.[footnote]National Conference of State Legislatures, \u201cStates with Mostly-Mail Elections.\u201d[\/footnote]<\/sup><\/p>\r\n VBM is associated with higher rates of voter turnout, and in Oregon, implementing this approach also led to more voters participating in the Beaver State.[footnote]Southwell and Burchett, \u201cEffect of All-Mail Elections,\u201d 72\u201379; Southwell, \u201cFive Years Later,\u201d 89\u201393; Southwell, \u201cAnalysis of the Turnout,\u201d 211\u2013217; Gronke and Miller, \u201cVoting by Mail,\u201d 976\u2013997; Richey, \u201cVoting by Mail,\u201d 902\u2013915.[\/footnote]<\/sup> Oregon, on average, has one of the highest rates of voter turnout in the country. In the 2022 midterm elections, only 42 percent of eligible voters participated across the country. In Oregon, that number was 62 percent\u2014the highest in the country.[footnote]McDonald, \u201c2022 November General Election.\u201d; US Elections Project, HYPERLINK \"https:\/\/www.electproject.org\/2022g\" \\hhttps:\/\/www.electproject.org\/2022g.[\/footnote]<\/sup><\/p>\r\n Not only does Oregon consistently enjoy high voter turnout, but its voting process is secure, with no evidence or reports of fraud\u2014one of the incorrect assumptions or critiques of the approach.[footnote]Gronke, \u201cBallot Integrity.\u201d[\/footnote]<\/sup> A survey of Oregon voters confirms that it is extremely popular and that most are confident in how elections are run in their state. Voters enjoy it, and conducting elections entirely by mail is actually less expensive than in-person elections or utilizing both in-person and mail options. According to Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, Oregon\u2019s vote-by-mail system is the \u201cgold standard with no widespread fraud to speak of.\u201d[footnote]Shumway, \u201cU.S. Supreme Court Won\u2019t Hear.\u201d[\/footnote]<\/sup><\/p>\r\n In the United States, it is largely the responsibility of the states\u2014not the federal government\u2014to administer elections. Some states add additional restrictions, making the voting process more burdensome or unavailable to certain groups of residents, from Jim Crow laws in the American South after the Civil War to current efforts many label \u201cJim Crow 2.0.\u201d In the other direction, states like Oregon are leading the fight to make it easier to vote. VBM is just one of the many innovations states are exploring to reduce the costs of voting, like early voting and same-day voter registration. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that voter turnout in states that make voting easier is routinely higher.<\/p>\r\n\r\n What factors might be associated with why rates of voter participation are so different across the fifty states?<\/p>\r\n If vote by mail is associated with higher rates of voter turnout, why do more states not change how they run their elections?<\/p>\r\n If you were in charge, how would you administer an election, or what laws would you put in place to maximize voter turnout?<\/p>","rendered":" In 1998, Oregon became the first state to implement vote by mail (VBM) for state elections.[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/sup> While Oregon voters could cast a ballot via mail in many local elections since 1981, their ability to do so in statewide elections was challenged for many years. The state legislature previously passed a law to do so in 1995 that was vetoed by their governor. After previous efforts stalled, voters utilized the initiative to begin utilizing VBM in statewide elections by approving Measure 60 with 69 percent of the vote.[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Rather than having to identify and visit the polling location on Election Day, VBM is one of many convenience voting reforms that states are utilizing. Today, seven additional states and Washington, DC, have joined Oregon in holding all-mail elections.[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n VBM is associated with higher rates of voter turnout, and in Oregon, implementing this approach also led to more voters participating in the Beaver State.[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/sup> Oregon, on average, has one of the highest rates of voter turnout in the country. In the 2022 midterm elections, only 42 percent of eligible voters participated across the country. In Oregon, that number was 62 percent\u2014the highest in the country.[5]<\/sup><\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Not only does Oregon consistently enjoy high voter turnout, but its voting process is secure, with no evidence or reports of fraud\u2014one of the incorrect assumptions or critiques of the approach.[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/sup> A survey of Oregon voters confirms that it is extremely popular and that most are confident in how elections are run in their state. Voters enjoy it, and conducting elections entirely by mail is actually less expensive than in-person elections or utilizing both in-person and mail options. According to Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, Oregon\u2019s vote-by-mail system is the \u201cgold standard with no widespread fraud to speak of.\u201d[7]<\/sup><\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n In the United States, it is largely the responsibility of the states\u2014not the federal government\u2014to administer elections. Some states add additional restrictions, making the voting process more burdensome or unavailable to certain groups of residents, from Jim Crow laws in the American South after the Civil War to current efforts many label \u201cJim Crow 2.0.\u201d In the other direction, states like Oregon are leading the fight to make it easier to vote. VBM is just one of the many innovations states are exploring to reduce the costs of voting, like early voting and same-day voter registration. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that voter turnout in states that make voting easier is routinely higher.<\/p>\n What factors might be associated with why rates of voter participation are so different across the fifty states?<\/p>\n If vote by mail is associated with higher rates of voter turnout, why do more states not change how they run their elections?<\/p>\n If you were in charge, how would you administer an election, or what laws would you put in place to maximize voter turnout?<\/p>\nCritical Thinking Questions<\/h2>\r\n
Chapter 8 Case Study: Oregon\u2019s Vote-by-Mail Experiment<\/h1>\n
Critical Thinking Questions<\/h2>\n