Voter verification needed to build trust in mail-in ballots

Americans should never have to choose between making voting easy and making it difficult to cheat.A healthy democracy can and should do both.That’s the wrong question.That’s why the latest controversy over the US Postal Service’s proposal to require states to share voter information before mailing ballots misses the broader point.

Critics, mostly Democrats from blue states, quickly labeled the proposal an attack on voting rights.They posed the familiar question: “Where’s the evidence of widespread fraud?”Election integrity isn’t just about catching fraud after it happens.

It’s about building systems that earn public confidence before a single ballot is cast.Banks don’t wait for money to disappear before verifying identities.

Airports don’t abandon security because most passengers aren’t criminals.Every serious institution understands that trust depends on verification.Our elections should be no different.California has built one of the nation’s most expansive vote-by-mail systems.

Prior to COVID, voters had to request an absentee ballot.Today, every active registered voter automatically receives a ballot by mail.

Millions of ballots travel through the US Postal Service (USPS) during every statewide election.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

Please provide a valid email.By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Never miss a story At the same time, California permits any eligible voter to register online, and election laws allow ballots postmarked by Election Day, even by hand, and received up to a week afterward to be counted if they meet statutory requirements. The system is designed to maximize participation, but it’s painfully slow.It also depends heavily on the accuracy of voter rolls and election administration.

Those policy choices inevitably raise questions about how confidence in the system is s...