Maine Looking at Absentee Voting Drop Boxes

Let's face it voting in person and voting absentee this year each has its own set of pluses and minuses.

Voting in person you know you got it done on Election Day but there are concerns about health and safety with so many people being in and out of the voting location.

Voting absentee you have the advantage you can vote at home (or your car in the parking lot of the post office before you pop it back in the mail) and mail it back in but you had to already be a registered voter, you have to make the request with enough time to get the ballot to you and you have to mail back with enough time to get it back to be counted.

Now we have been seeing in the news about mail slowdowns and mail stacking up as well as hearing about internal changes in this lifeline for Americans…the United States Postal Service.  I don’t know about you, but I find these reports a little concerning.

I was reading today in the Bangor Daily News about a very simple addition to this mix that is being considered on a state level...the absentee ballot drop boxes.

Genius! I say that because I thought something like that would have been helpful in the primary.

Maine is not the only state with this idea and getting the type of secure box desired for this is a challenge as there is a backlog. Some communities did have this option for the primary. Since nothing is simple, the idea and practice has come with some backlash from those concerned about potential fraud.

To get your absentee ballot you need to already be a registered voter in your community, you need to request the ballot and then return it.

I was at my city hall last week to register a new car (can't do that online), change my address for my voter registration, and was able to put in my request for my absentee ballot.

I have been voting absentee for years and feel very comfortable doing it but this year if I can’t drop it off I will be mailing that ballot back ASAP so it has all the time I can give it to get where it needs to go.