The ‘profound power’ of vote by mail: Evolving a new ritual of democracy
Phil Keisling has been called “the Johnny Appleseed of mail-in ballots” and “the patron saint of vote by mail.” As Oregon’s secretary of state from 1991 to 1998, he pushed for the adoption of a then-unique system in which all active registered voters receive ballots through the postal system for all elections.
Oregon’s vote by mail began as an experiment at the local level when a county clerk asked a simple question: Since they were already paying to print and mail sample ballots to voters, why not just send the real thing? It turned out doing so saved money – while also boosting turnout and making voters happy, says Mr. Keisling.
Former President Donald Trump has denounced mail-in balloting, with no evidence, as rife with fraud. “Mail ballots are a very dangerous thing for this country,” he said prior to
