What is absentee voting?
It is process by which electors who are unable to go in person to the polling site on polling day
can still cast their vote. It is an important part of the electoral management process. There are
many different systems to enable voting to take place other than on polling day at the polling site
and these are valued by electors who because of health, disability, employment or other reasons
cannot get to their polling site in person.
Absentee Voting Systems
The most widely used are:
- In-person Absentee Voting (sometimes called advance voting): This applies to electors who
are unable to visit the polling site on polling day but are in the electoral area in the days before
the poll. These arrangements are available for a specified period before polling day and the
elector votes in person in the usual way. The period of time during which advance voting can
take place varies. In Washington DC (USA) it is 15 days, in Estonia 5 days. In fixing the period
for advance voting regard must be taken of the date for the closure of nominations as time must
be allowed for the printing of ballot papers. Advance voting may take place at each polling site
or at a reduced number of sites or at the local office of the electoral manager is used - this is a
more economic arrangement because it avoids the expense of opening all the polling sites for the
advance voting period - it does have the disadvantage that the elector may have to travel some
distance to vote in advance. Advance polling sites may be open for only a limited number of
hours compared to the arrangements on polling day. In Saskatchewan, Canada they are open for
5 days before polling day between 3pm and 10pm. The advance voting system can require a
specific reason for the elector to be allowed the advance vote option such as being away in
connection with work on polling day or it may simply be left open to any elector who wishes to
use the facility to do so. It is often a requirement for the elector to demonstrate a reason for
being unable to vote in person and requests are normally made in writing on prescribed forms. In
Sweden 40per cent of the electorate use advanced voting.
- In-person Absentee Voting at Sites Outside the Electoral Area for which the Voter Is
Registered: Unless the voter can write in the choice on a blank ballot then a single ballot paper
has to be used nationally so this system relies on the distribution of ballot papers to a variety of
locations outside the electoral area - they would go for example to the electoral offices of all the
states in the Country so a voter not resident in a particular state could go to the elections office
of the state where he or she was temporarily resident and vote for the election in the State where
he or she was registered. This works well for major elections but would require huge movements
of ballot papers for local level elections and is therefore impractical for these. It is usually
necessary for the voter to produce ID and make a declaration that no vote has been cast
elsewhere and (if possible bu information being supplied from the alternative voting point) for
the Voters Lists in the electors home area to be marked to ensure the voter cannot vote twice.
- Mail Absentee Voting: This process involves the elector sending a written request which
needs to include the address where the ballot paper is to be mailed. Normally the elector is
required to state the reason for the request (e.g illness, holiday, work, education) and make a
declaration. The United Kingdom (UK) use this method see Absentee Vote Application - United Kingdom and the application
form is not particularly user friendly for elderly electors. A problem which relates to absent
voting and other aspects of electoral management is one of fraud and if a fraudulent request is
processed and the ballot paper is sent to a distant address the elector cannot vote in person at the
polling site because the Voters Lists will be marked to indicate that the elector has voted by post.
This system has the advantage of being able to send the ballot paper outside the electoral area
although some electoral laws preclude a ballot paper being sent by mail outside the country
concerned. The mail ballot system has several other disadvantages which include the need to
close the list of mail absentee voters early enough to dispatch ballot papers and for these to be
returned by the voter - this can cause difficulties where the electoral law allows late changes to
the candidate or party line up. Another major disadvantage is that the elector does not undergo
the scrutiny by party poll watchers which takes place at the polling site and absentee ballots are
often sent to the frail elderly and this category is particularly vulnerable to influence in the way
they vote. Another risk is that the ballot paper may be intercepted and completed by someone
else. Whilst provisions can be made for declarations to be completed by the elector and for the
process to be witnessed it remains open to abuse. The United Kingdom (UK) postal vote system
requires the voter to complete a declaration see Absentee Voter Declaration of Identity - United Kingdom when they are marking their ballot
paper and have this witnessed and the declaration is then returned in a separate covering
envelope to the covering envelope for the ballot paper (but both are in one overall envelope) and
these covering envelopes are opened at separate stages of the process thus maintaining the
secrecy of the voter's choice.
- Fax Absentee Voting: This process involves faxing the elector a ballot paper and the
accompanying documentation. It works in the same way as the mail absentee ballot except that
covering envelopes cannot be used for the declaration or equivalent or the ballot paper when
these are returned so the voter has to waive his or her secrecy rights. Direct costs depending on
phone rates are usually comparable to mail absentee voting but the amount of staff time taken to
fax and receive by fax substantial numbers of ballot papers is likely to be greater than the mail
system.
- Electronic Absentee Voting: This is the same as the fax process except that the voter
receives and returns the documentation electronically (through the Internet). Introducing
sufficient security safeguards is more difficult because no voters signature is returned as it is by
fax - this process is in its infancy as far as major elections are concerned.
- Curbside Voting or the Mobile Ballot Box: This facility is normally used within the area
covered by the polling site - it serves the same electors. Applications are made either in advance
or up to a specified time on polling day (to the polling site officials) to be included on the list of
voters who are to be visited in their homes. When the specified time is reached and the list closes
two or more officials from the team visit each of the electors concerned in their homes (or at any
other address in the polling district) and they then vote in person using the same process that
applies at the polling site. A variation of this process is that the voting takes place in the vehicle
used by the polling officials and the voters at brought from their home to the vehicle. This is
more open to scrutiny but less convenient for the voters particularly where the place of residence
is for example in a large block of apartments resulting in a considerable amount of difficulty in
reaching the vehicle.
- Special Polling: This is where a special polling site is established in a hospital or similar
institution to enable the voters in the hospital or institution to vote. The polling station normally
operates only for a limited period rather than the full hours of poll. Special polling stations can
also be established in prisons or similar correctional institutions if the electoral law allows
certain prisoners to vote.
- Appointment of a Proxy: This is where the elector who is unable to vote in person appoints
a proxy to vote on his / her behalf. The normal requirement is for a specific application to be
made in writing by the elector appointing the proxy and signed by the elector stating the reasons
for the application and the name and address of the proxy appointed. The United Kingdom does
not require the agreement of the proxy being obtained. That proxy then votes on the electors
behalf - the voters lists need to be marked to ensure the poll workers are aware that a proxy has
been appointed and a list of proxies for the polling site is usually prepared. This system has the
advantage that it does not rely on the transmission of material to the voter or the establishment of
mobile or special polling stations - it can also allow the voter to cast the vote in person in the
event of the voter being in the area on polling day - whichever of the voter or the proxy gets there
first gets the vote!
- Antarctic Voting: This is an Australian Electoral Commission process for electors in the
Antarctic Region. An Antarctic Returning Officer is designated for each ship or station and the
details about the electoral roll for each elector at the ship or station and of the candidates / parties
are transmitted and the ballot papers prepared. After voting takes place in a similar manner to any
other polling site all the results are transmitted by the Antarctic Returning Officer to the
appropriate Australian Electoral Officer - this is an innovative way of dealing effectively and at
low cost with significant numbers of electors who could not vote in person.
Overseas voting can have an affect on election results if the arrangements favour one overseas
group more than another. Sometimes voting is only allowed in embassies and in other cases in a
variety of locations. Where there are considerable numbers or residents living in countries other
that the one where the election is held overseas voting arrangements need carefull thought to
ensure equality of opportunity to vote.
Mobile Polling Stations
Whilst not the normal interpretation of absentee voting establishing mobile polling stations in
remote areas is another option to assist electors to vote and avoid them undertaking excessive
travel. Mobile polling in remote areas normally takes place during a period of days ending with
polling day and the programme of locations which the mobile polling station visits is publicized
in advance. This system is used very effectively in Australia (AU) - the cost per voter is high but
alternative arrangements would leave the voter being put to considerable cost and inconvenience
to travel long distances.
Choice of system.
The simplest and least expensive system is the one of proxy appointments and it is also very easy
to regulate. There are no costs in setting up advance polling stations, no postal or administrative
costs save preparing the proxy list and no need to transport ballot papers to other locations. The
proxy system used in the United Kingdom (UK) does not require the proxy to produce any
identification when voting - although the use of the proxy system in the UK is extensive abuse
and fraud has been minimal but still a cause for concern so a system of ID for proxy voters is
desirable. The absentee voting in person systems can be relatively inexpensive if the polling site
is at the office of the electoral official or commission but where polling sites are established
specifically to deal with absentee voting costs can be significant. The mobile ballot box on
polling day requires some extra staff although if the number of voters to be visited is relatively
low and the visits can be dealt with during the period of polling day when voting is light this
again is a low cost process and one which is greatly valued by voters and where the voting
process can be directly scrutinized by the poll workers.
Whatever system of absentee voting is used one essential is to introduce a system of monitoring
the absentee voting in such a manner as to ensure that the elector cannot vote again in person on
polling day. Marking the voters` register that the voter has used the absentee facility is one
option.
Publicity about Absentee Voting
The best absentee voting systems will achieve little if they are not publicicsed - the frail elderly
and disabled are two groups which may well be targetted. Students and those who frequently
move are another. In the run up to elections there should be general publicity through
newspapers, radio and television and also more specific publicity for example in medical centres,
student accommodation, local libraries and meeting places.
For further information see Absentee Voting, Early Voting, and Other Special Voting Arrangements.