Vote-by-mail costs more, is less secure

It was reported by realclearpolitics.com in June 2011, that West Virginia spent more than double on their first vote-by-mail than what the city had anticipated. Councilman, Ron Baine stated, "12,000 of the 16,000 ballots weren’t cast, and that means the city wasted $25,000."

Our county clerk mailed out 2,500 vote by mail surveys and only received 60 back. Will we learn from others mistakes?

The passing of HB172 allows the election officer to decide whether or not our county is voting by mail. Another freedom has been taken from us. VBM subjects every citizen’s ballot to being lost, misplaced, stolen or filled out by someone other than the individual voter, and that is just with the post office. The same can happen at our homes.

Intimidation and coercion becomes a factor again, since the first secret ballot was established after the civil war in which recently freed slaves were suffering from voter intimidation during the southern reconstruction period. Family members or others can intimidate us or coerce us to fill out our ballots the way that they want us to fill it out because the ballot is mailed to our homes.

It is not wise when desire for increased voter participation supersedes concern for ballot integrity. According to the Democrat Herald of Albany, Oregon in 2002, "The idea that VBM was an automatic help to boost voter participation turned out to be flat wrong."

Please come and sign our petition, we will be located at the Box Elder county Fair by the dairy herd and during Peach Days in front of Permanent Solution located on Forest Street. Also, call your county clerk, state representative and Governor Herbert and encourage them to restore and protect every Utah citizens right to a secret ballot. Say, "no," to "forced" voting by mail. Repeal HB172!