As questions surround mail voting during the election, Washington’s experience took root over years – By Joseph O’Sullivan (Seattle Times) / Sept 27 2020
OLYMPIA — Voting by mail may seem so familiar in Washington these days as to be baked into our civic culture.
But the ballots landing in residents’ mailboxes next month are the product of decades of experiments and reforms — sometimes painful ones — as local and state election officials gradually reimagined a new way for public participation.
Washington’s story also contradicts President Donald Trump’s attempts this year to disparage mail voting as he trails in the polls. Trump has sought to cast doubt on the coming election results by suggesting Democrats are pursuing mail voting in an effort to commit fraud and win the election.
Last week, the president on two occasions declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose, according to news reports.
Washington’s experience is almost a mirror opposite of the president’s portrayal.
Here, Republicans pushed early on to expand mail balloting. Voters liked mail ballots so much it eventually helped bring about the formal changeover.
Continue to article: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/as-questions-surround-mail-voting-during-the-election-washingtons-experience-took-root-over-years/
