Vote-by-mail’s time has come

On Nov. 8, Spokane County voters will be asked to give some advice to Spokane County commissioners. Should county citizens vote entirely by mail from here on out? Gone would be the neighborhood polling places.

Ballots would arrive by mail, though voters would have the option to drop their ballots off at several election centers. Voters with disabilities, or those requiring extra assistance, would also be able to get help at these centers.

This is an advisory vote only, meaning the commissioners will make the final decision. But vote-by-mail is an idea whose time has arrived in our mailboxes; more than half of county voters already vote this way.

Spokane County commissioners had the authority to merely institute the new system, but chose instead to check in with their constituents first. The voters should give the idea their strong endorsement by marking their ballots in favor of Spokane County Proposition 1 on Nov. 8. Eliminate poll voting and institute an all-mail system.

The idea saves money. Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton estimates the county will save between $70,000 and $100,000 a year. On Jan. 1, federal law will require that every polling place offer machines designed for those with disabilities. The machines are expensive to maintain. Going to an all-mail system cuts down on the number of disability-friendly machines the county will need to maintain.

Some believe that the vote-by-mail system cuts into election fraud. The ballots are in the possession of either the voter, the U.S. Postal Service or the elections office during most of the voting process. The signatures are checked against signatures on file. No voting system, however, is foolproof.

The vote-by-mail system diminishes human contact, but perhaps the election centers will become gathering places for those who will vote no on this proposition and those who feel like celebrating the democratic way come Election Day.