Statements On Introduced Bills And Joint Resolutions
Floor Speech
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By Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Carper, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Merkley, and Mrs. Gillibrand):
S. 3299. A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail in Federal elections; to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, today I am introducing a package of three bills to improve the administration of U.S. elections. These bills would empower voters--giving them a greater ability to control how and when they participate in the electoral process. Just as technological developments have changed the way people manage everything from their bank accounts to their communication with friends and family, they can also give voters more power to control their involvement in the electoral process. By empowering individual voters, my bills would increase turnout and lower administrative costs, while improving the security and integrity of elections.
As my colleagues know, I am an ardent believer in bipartisanship. One thing both parties agree on is that the states are great laboratories for policy innovation. The bills I am introducing today are prime examples of progress that was pioneered at the state level. It's now time to take that proven success to the national level.
An increasing number of voters across the country now Vote by Mail. In fact, in the 2008 presidential election, one-fifth of ballots nationwide were cast by mail. I am proud to say that the State that blazed the trail for Vote by Mail is my home State of Oregon. There were many steps along this path, but the turning point came in 1996. That year, Oregon conducted its first State-wide primary and general election for a Federal race exclusively by mail. That election, of course, sent me to the U.S. Senate. But that election was not just a success for my campaign, it was a win for the voters of Oregon.
Through the success of Vote by Mail for that special election, folks in Oregon saw that elections could be conducted without long lines, malfunctioning equipment, and the risks of fraud inherent at polling places. The resounding success of that first Vote by Mail, State-wide, Federal election led directly to the passage of a referendum in Oregon on Vote by Mail two years later. In 1998, an overwhelming majority--70 percent--of Oregonians voted to adopt Vote by Mail for all elections. The Vote by Mail system was fully in place for the next election cycle, meaning that since 2000, all Oregon voters have voted exclusively by mail.
The three bills I am introducing today draw upon the success that Oregon has experienced with Vote by Mail and more recently with online voter registration. The first is the Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act. This bill would put into law the fact that every citizen has the right to vote by mail. Under this bill, any voter who requests an absentee ballot would receive one. No longer would arbitrary requirements block voters from choosing to Vote by Mail.
The second bill is the Vote by Mail Act. It would provide grants to states, or smaller jurisdictions, that wish to make the transition to Vote by Mail.
Finally, the Online Voter Registration Act would provide grants to states that wish to implement an online system that would allow voters to register to vote, update voter information, and request an absentee ballot using the internet. In Oregon, Washington, and Arizona, online systems are already working to reduce administrative costs and make it easier for voters to participate in elections.
Ten years of proven results with Oregon's Vote by Mail system has shown that this policy experiment has been a resounding success. Voters in Oregon strongly support Vote by Mail. An academic study conducted in 2005 found that over 80 percent of Oregonians prefer Vote by Mail to conventional polling place elections. Vote by Mail is also a more cost-effective way to run elections. In Oregon, the Elections Division estimated that costs were reduced by 30 percent when Vote by Mail replaced polling place elections.
One of the greatest results that Vote by Mail has had on Oregon's election is that it has increased voter turnout and that's an outcome that every state should want. In the three Presidential elections in Oregon since Vote by Mail was adopted, turnout has been 84 percent--an increase of 6 percent over the three prior Presidential elections. Vote by Mail has an even stronger beneficial impact on turnout for lower-profile elections, such as off-year, municipal, or referenda elections.
Vote by Mail also reduces election fraud. This may sound counter-intuitive to skeptics who believe voting by mail is less secure than voting at a polling place. However, a Vote by Mail system offers many safeguards that are not available in conventional elections. There is a paper trail for each and every vote, and the processing is conducted at a central, secure location that can be viewed by the public. By expanding the voting period--rather than compressing it into one day--Vote by Mail affords election officials the time to identify problems, fix errors, and investigate any questionable ballots. If the goal of our country's elections is to make sure the voice of every voter is heard clearly and securely, there is no greater tool than Vote by Mail.
Oregon's experience has shown that in a Vote by Mail system fraud is almost non-existent. Every ballot envelope is scrutinized before it is opened, and the voter's signature on it is reviewed to make sure it matches the one on file for the voter. With the longer time period involved--typically about two and a half weeks--in a Vote by Mail election, there is ample opportunity to determine whether a ballot is valid before it is counted and to investigate any allegations of fraud. If a ballot is fraudulent, it never gets counted. That could never happen in a polling place election where, by the time fraud is found, the vote has already been counted and can't be retrieved. Since Oregon converted to exclusive Vote by Mail elections, over 15 million ballots have been cast. During this time, thousands of ballots have been challenged and investigated for allegations of fraud. Thorough investigation of every allegation, however, has revealed only nine instances of vote fraud. There has been absolutely no evidence of any large-scale, systemic vote fraud that some predicted when Vote by Mail was first adopted in Oregon.
Vote by Mail offers additional advantages that may not be readily apparent. For example, on Election Day in 2006, Tillamook County, Oregon, experienced a deluge of 13 inches of rain. Roads were closed, parts of the county became unreachable, and a State of emergency was declared. Even so, 70 percent of the voters in Tillamook County cast their ballots. Vote by Mail ensured that lack of access to polling places because of a natural disaster on Election Day was no impediment to voting.
It is not only bad weather that can be overcome with Vote by Mail--an illness, caring for a loved one, pregnancy, work, travel, or religious obligations can all keep citizens from exercising their right to vote at a polling place on a one-day election. Vote by Mail trumps all of these obstacles. Such barriers are not an issue in Oregon, but they may prevent voters in 28 states and territories from voting. In those states and territories, voters must meet arbitrary requirements to get an absentee ballot. I believe the decision to obtain an absentee ballot should be made by the voter. I can see no justification for allowing arbitrary, bureaucratic rules to disenfranchise any voter anywhere in America.
I would also note that excuse requirements for obtaining an absentee ballot constitute an unwarranted invasion of voter privacy. All information submitted on an absentee ballot request form becomes part of the public record. There is no reason why voters should be forced to reveal sensitive personal information simply to have the opportunity to vote. I believe all voters should enjoy equal access to mail ballots while having their privacy ensured.
That is why I am introducing the Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act. This bill is, fundamentally, about access and fairness. No citizen should have to miss an election because they have to work, are ill, are caring for a loved one, traveling, or have a religious obligation. When voting for President, Oregonians shouldn't have an advantage over New Yorkers or Virginians. The Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act doesn't force anyone to Vote by Mail, nor does it require states to implement any new voting systems. All States are already required to have an absentee ballot system. This bill merely says all voters should have equal protection in choosing how to participate in elections.
I am also introducing today the Vote by Mail Act of 2010, which would create a three-year, $18 million grant program to help states, or smaller jurisdictions, transition to Vote by Mail systems like the one in Oregon. This bill would not mandate that any state adopt Vote by Mail. However, the bill would provide funding for state or local jurisdictions that choose to take advantage of the benefits that Vote by Mail offers. The bill would provide grants of $2 million dollars to states, or grants of $1 million to smaller jurisdictions, to help pay for the costs of implementing a Vote by Mail system. I believe Vote by Mail can improve elections in any state that adopts it. But rather than simply assume that Vote by Mail delivers benefits, I offer a solution that would provide proof that it does. My bill would instruct the Government Accountability Office to evaluate Vote by Mail and produce a study comparing traditional voting methods with Vote by Mail.
Finally, I am introducing the Online Voter Registration Act to help give voters the ability to register, update voter information, and request absentee ballots using the internet. This bill would empower voters and would reduce administrative costs. In 2008, three quarters of folks in our country reported using the internet, and 87 percent of young adults did so. These are the very people who will be registering to vote for the first time, and they expect the government to accommodate the way they live their lives. But this bill isn't just about making things easier for young adults. The internet is well-suited to this work and can save time, protect voters' privacy, reduce paper, and lower costs. Many States already allow citizens to renew their driver's licenses or register their cars online. Expanding the list of those government services offered online to Voter Registration simply makes sense.
Oregon, Washington, and Arizona have already established online voter registration systems. In the initial election cycle of implementation for Washington's system, the State reported saving over $87,000 in less than a year. Expanding access to online voter registration makes sense, but designing and implementing such systems requires considerable start-up expenses. That's why the Online Voter Registration Act would provide grants of $150,000 to States to help cover the implementation costs.
I would like to thank those who have supported Vote by Mail, including the original cosponsors of the two bills: Senators KERRY, CARPER, CANTWELL, MERKLEY, and GILLIBRAND. I would also like to thank the many organizations that support Vote by Mail, including the National Association of Letter Carriers, National Association of Postmasters, National Association of Postal Supervisors, American Postal Workers Union, National Postal Mail Handlers Union, National Rural Letter Carriers' Association, and other labor organizations including the AFL-CIO and SEIU. Vote by Mail also has the support of many civil rights and elections organizations, including Common Cause, the NAACP, the ACLU, and The League of Rural Voters.
I urge my colleagues to give voters more choice and greater opportunity to participate in elections by supporting these important bills. It's time to move the nation's elections systems into the 21st century and answer the needs of today's voters. These bills are an important step in that direction.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record
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