Voting by mail faces uncertain moment ahead of midterm elections

"Derrin Robinson has worked in Oregon elections for more than 30 years, long enough to remember when voters in the state cast their ballots at physical polling sites instead of by mail. As the nonpartisan clerk of Harney County, a vast, rural expanse larger than Massachusetts, Robinson oversees elections with about 6,000 registered voters. Oregon has exclusively conducted elections by mail since 2000, a system he thinks works well, requires fewer staff and doesn't force voters to travel through treacherous weather to reach a polling place. As you can tell, I'm not an advocate for going back, Robinson said."

"Some states are also reevaluating their mail-in voting laws, including shortening or ending grace periods that now require election officials to count mailed ballots that arrive after Election Day. The U.S. Supreme Court in November agreed to take a case that could end ballot grace periods nationwide. A decision by the justices late next spring or early summer striking them down could affect 16 states and the District of Columbia, potentially upending the rules of elections as states prepare to hold primaries ahead of the November midterm elections that will determine control of Congress."

Oregon has conducted elections exclusively by mail since 2000, a system valued by longtime election officials for reducing staff needs and avoiding travel in harsh weather. Some Oregon lawmakers and organizers are pushing to end or ban mail-in voting, with legislation introduced and thousands of signatures reported. Nationwide, mail voting faces uncertainty ahead of the midterm elections amid political attacks and litigation. President Donald Trump has criticized mail-in voting and promoted unsubstantiated fraud claims. States are reevaluating rules such as ballot grace periods. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that could end those grace periods. Mail-in voting surged in 2020, when 43% of voters cast ballots by mail.

Read at stateline.org