Vote-By-Mail Worries Mount As Election Nears
Huff PostLOADING ERROR LOADING BOSTON — Brace yourself for what’s expected to be the first U.S. presidential election conducted mostly by mail. “It hasn’t been built to withstand that high of a volume.” Among the major concerns: — Although Congress has sent $400 million to help states deal with pandemic-related pressures on election systems, it’s well short of the estimated $2 billion experts say officials need to be ready for November. That’s because processing absentee ballots is a complex, multi-step process in most states: Voter fills out application, mails it to local election office; local election office verifies voter’s eligibility, sends back ballot; voter completes ballot, signs envelope, returns it. In Georgia’s Fulton County, which includes Atlanta and is the state’s most populous, thousands of absentee ballots didn’t reach voters until after the polls had closed, according to local news reports. BALLOTS REJECTED Once a completed ballot arrives at a local election office, the voter’s eligibility and identity must be verified.