November 1, 2012
For the past month or so, the staff at our Hamilton College Mail Center has doubled as ballot distributors and collectors, as Hamilton students dutifully cast their votes in the 2012 election. According to Mail Center employee Alyssa Hopper ’13, “It is nice to see so many people making an effort to vote.”
Considering most residents of the Hill do not live within a reasonable distance to return home to their districts’ polling places, absentee ballots are the primary method of voting for us college students in central New York. Unless of course a student’s permanent residence is located within a reasonable distance for a quick trip to the polls, Hamilton students are not likely to return home for Election Day, especially since classes remain in session. The most likely solution to this distance dilemma is the mail-in absentee ballot.
Throughout recent elections, the states have dramatically liberalized laws behind the absentee voting process. For many past elections, most states required voters to provide a documented cause for their absence, which was primarily defined as illness or disability. Applicable rationale did not include students studying at distant colleges and universities. In the 2012 election, however, every state has offered an early voting option. Some states allow “in person” early voting; however, others choose to limit this option to postal ballots. Some states, including Oregon and Washington, now rely primarily on mail-in ballots. These states have recognized that it would be a disservice to our nation’s democratic ideals to forsake the option for early voting.
After all, the liberalization of absentee voting laws has worked toward increased voter turnout throughout the United States. A study by Dr. Michael McDonald of George Mason University’s Department of Public and International Affairs demonstrates the significant impact of increased early voting. McDonald wrote, “In the presidential election of 2008, approximately 39.7 million or 30% of all votes were cast prior to Election Day, November 4, 2008. This is a significant increase from 20% in 2004 and part of the upward trend experienced since 1992, when 7% of all votes were cast early.”
Additionally, mail-in voting is an option for international students who wish to participate in politics abroad. Many countries throughout the world have also worked to increase democratic participation through alternative voting methods.
There is, however, a negative side to early voting, despite our nation’s increased reliance on the option. Many rightfully question the legitimacy of an absentee vote compared to that of a vote cast in person on Election Day. A great deal of absentee ballots are not counted in many of the states, especially those received after the official Election Day. While the country does not officially bring vote counting to a close until ten days after Election Day, many states opt to stop counting absentee ballots once a clear winner is defined. For swing states whose electoral winner is not always as clear as in predominantly red or blue states, it becomes more necessary to conduct a full count of absentee ballots to determine the true winner. Even so, there is no guarantee that a vote cast via absentee ballot will hold as much bearing as those via Election Day ballots.
Regardless of the possible downsides to early voting, for those of us whose only voting option is an absentee ballot, it is an essential duty as young American citizens to vote for our nation’s leaders. With this in mind, we must also take the time to thank our Mail Center staff for their increased efforts during election season. Without their help, our strong political voices would not be heard.
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