If the Post Office can't handle the flood...

[Kenny]

All states have and are using mail-in ballots to a greater or lesser extent, and both Pence and Trump used them in 2018. My wife & I have used them for around 20 years now here in Michigan.

What I believe Trump & Co are likely up to is to be able to call the 2020 "fraudulent" if he loses, and this could create an extremely nasty situation nationally.

That IS a great possibility. The other side of the coin is that it takes much longer for mail-in ballots to be counted and it could be used to prevent the current President, should he win, from being acknowledged as such.

But that wasn't my point. There are different laws for different states. Some states have in their laws that anyone can present themselves at a voting location, sign up, register and vote all in the same moment. One can vote in NY, run across the state line and vote again because of that law.

A non-conservative Politico (a commentary) simply notes the reality of an expanded mail-in ballot can open a litigation can of worms (I prefer early voting - and even a national voting holiday)

Opinion | Why Vote-by-Mail Could be a Legal Nightmare in November

I think it is a balanced review.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

That IS a great possibility. The other side of the coin is that it takes much longer for mail-in ballots to be counted and it could be used to prevent the current President, should he win, from being acknowledged as such.

Similarly, the increased demand for quality paper stock could spur forest depletion followed by a collapse of the local ecosystem driving up demand for imported logging product thereby straining an already taxed shipping industry with the unintended consequence being the decimation of the very fishing industry that supplies seafood to the very restaurant that now find themselves on the brick of extinction do to the pandemic. Why anyone would support vote-by-male when faced with such ominous possibilities is simply beyond me,

It's also simply beyond me why anyone would buy into the manufactured anti-vote-by-mail hysteria born of Trump's sociopathic desperation. Just stop yourselves.

 

[Valjean]

Does it matter if the results aren't known for weeks?

Not at all. What's the hurry? It's not like the electee is going to assume office the next day.
This is America! We've got months before the inauguration.

The election is not a sports event. We don't need a blow-by-blow commentary.

Take as long as is needed. Count all the ballots. Recount if necessary. Announce the results only when everything's clear.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I think it might require strict monitoring and security. It's not just a matter of preventing someone from fixing the election, but there may be those who might simply want to undermine public confidence and mar the process. Even if the election isn't tampered with, it may only be enough to make the public think that it was, and that could possibly lead to unfortunate circumstances.

Well, that does seem to be 45's intent in claiming the election will be a disaster if mail-in ballots are used anywhere...except in Florida...

 

[Twilight Hue]

The US is becoming a third world country; I fear the UK may be following.

Sadly homelessness is addressed in speech and never in real action by those who can actually do something about it.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Not at all. What's the hurry? It's not like the electee is going to assume office the next day.
This is America! We've got months before the inauguration.

The election is not a sports event. We don't need a blow-by-blow commentary.

Take as long as is needed. Count all the ballots. Recount if necessary. Announce the results only when everything's clear.

I noticed that as well in regards to the sports event style presentation that's all too common.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I'm fascinated that the First Orange has suddenly decided that mail-in voting is okay -- if it's in Florida (or perhaps other states run be Republicans). Now, surely this immense back-track can't have anything to do with the fact that Florida is slipping away, and he can't possibly win without -- no, that would never be a reason for such duplicity, eh?

And the sheer gigantic stupidity to suppose that only people with a conservative viewpoint could possibly know how to manage voting and postal services is beneath contempt -- though sadly, Trump has been way beneath my contempt for a long time now.

America, you sadden me more by the day.

 

[Tambourine]

A non-conservative Politico (a commentary) simply notes the reality of an expanded mail-in ballot can open a litigation can of worms (I prefer early voting - and even a national voting holiday)

In Austria, all elections are held on Sunday, although I guess that could be seen as blasphemy among Christian fundamentalists in the US.

 

[Kenny]

In Austria, all elections are held on Sunday, although I guess that could be seen as blasphemy among Christian fundamentalists in the US.

I don't think so today (basically) but if so, a Monday holiday for voting would still work.

 

[fantome profane]

"'Third World' is an outdated and offensive phrase that has been used historically to describe a class of economically developing nations....Today the preferred terminology is a developing nation, an underdeveloped country, or a low- and middle-income country (LMIC)."
from The meaning of the term Third World

So what term would you use to describe the U.S .? Certainly not a developing nation. Perhaps a declining nation? Or a regressing nation?

 

[tytlyf]

A non-conservative Politico (a commentary) simply notes the reality of an expanded mail-in ballot can open a litigation can of worms (I prefer early voting - and even a national voting holiday)

Opinion | Why Vote-by-Mail Could be a Legal Nightmare in November

I think it is a balanced review.

The article is referring to absentee mail in voting. Not normal mail in ballots.

 

[Brickjectivity]

So what term would you use to describe the U.S .? Certainly not a developing nation. Perhaps a declining nation? Or a regressing nation?

Its hilarious. Nations take time to decline or improve. They are huge, and rapid changes make bubble cracks but then disappear. They move slowly. Come back to me in fifty years.

 

[Kenny]

The article is referring to absentee mail in voting. Not normal mail in ballots.

"Simply put, there are more things that can go wrong with vote-by-mail compared with in-precinct voting." quote

I think it still applies

 

[tytlyf]

"Simply put, there are more things that can go wrong with vote-by-mail compared with in-precinct voting." quote

I think it still applies

If it applied, they would have mentioned that. The article is talking about absentee ballots and how those ballots are more open to litigation"

 

[Kenny]

If it applied, they would have mentioned that. The article is talking about absentee ballots and how those ballots are more open to litigation"

So, tell what the difference is when you mail in an absentee ballot vs mailing in a ballot.

Does the word "absentee" cause it to be looked at differently? Does mail-in ballot have a different special box?

 

[ecco]

The leading Democrats are extremely concerned about all the medicines that so many depend on that comes through the mail. By Trump sabotaging the postal service in order to help him in the November elections, he is adding more Americans to the body count as a result of his illegal presidency.

Last night I got a robo-call PostalShield(?) to inform me that my meds could not be delivered by mail and I would have to go to the post office to get.

This was obviously MaleBovineFeces. I'm guessing it was from a Trump-supporting group trying to undermine confidence in the PO.

 

[ecco]

Some people can't tell when someone is lying.

It's easy to tell when Trump is lying:

• His mouth is moving
• There are sounds emanating from it

 

[tytlyf]

So, tell what the difference is when you mail in an absentee ballot vs mailing in a ballot.

Does the word "absentee" cause it to be looked at differently? Does mail-in ballot have a different special box?

The article describes the legal differences. It's mostly an article about absentee ballots. The postal service has no issues handling people mailing in ballots.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Thank you every one for your responses!

I was hoping in my OP to spur some discussion of how solutions to the potential logistical problems of the election might be addressed.

The President has been asserting that the post office will not be able to handle it. Aside from doing a 'surge' in Post Office employment to handle his concern, I also suggested that the National Guard/military be mobilized to help in this function.

That is, anybody have any other ideas about how to address this potential problem and keep it from happening, instead of taking 45's approach of whining about the possibility but doing NOTHING to avoid it.

He also asserts that election offices where ballots are collected and tabulated will not be able to handle the flood of mailed/absentee ballots.

Again, how could these county and other local offices be bolstered to prepare for possible problems...?

That is, rather than imitating 45 and his whining but refusal to propose constructive actions?

Thanks again for your participation!

 

[tytlyf]

The President has been asserting that the post office will not be able to handle it. Aside from doing a 'surge' in Post Office employment to handle his concern, I also suggested that the National Guard/military be mobilized to help in this function.

Everything this president asserts should be taken with a grain of salt.
The post office doesn't need a surge or increase in employment.
The national guard/military don't need to get involved. There is no problem with the post office handling an extra piece of mail on top of the other junk mail.

If people are still worried, how bout a national junk mail holiday? That'll cut down on the extra multiple pieces stressing out the post service /s