E-Paper
What are mail-in ballots? Here are the countries that use this voting method
Mail-in ballots are used across the US and in many other countries, despite Donald Trump’s false claim that America is the only nation still using them.
When Donald Trump posted on social media this week vowing to “get rid of mail-in ballots,” he lit up an argument that has been following him since the last election cycle. CNN notes the former president went so far as to claim the US is “the only country” that uses mail-in voting, blaming the system for what he called “massive voter fraud.”
What is a mail-in ballot?
Voters receive a ballot at home, fill it out, and then return it by mail or drop it off at a secure location. The process is often used by Americans overseas, members of the military, seniors, or anyone who cannot make it to a polling station.
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Mail-in ballots: Where else are they used?
Plenty of other democracies use the same method. Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Switzerland all allow their citizens to vote by mail.
The rules are not identical - in some places you have to request a ballot, in others it is sent automatically - but the principle is the same. Far from being abandoned, mail-in ballots are part of normal election practice around the world.
Even inside the US, it is not a partisan thing. Utah, a Republican-led state, has mailed ballots to its voters for years. Its elections, like those in other states that lean heavily on mail voting, have not been rocked by widespread fraud. That undercuts Trump’s line that “all others gave it up.”
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Fraud concerns and security issues surrounding mail-in ballots
Election experts say there is always a sliver of risk, but the scale matters. Out of millions of ballots cast in federal elections, cases of fraud are rare.
David Becker, who runs the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research, told CNN, “Our elections are more secure, transparent, and verified than ever before in American history, thanks to the thousands of professional election officials of both parties, at the state and local level, that oversee them.”
Trump also argued that states must run elections the way the president directs. This runs counter to the US Constitution. Article I, Section 4 makes clear that states control how elections are conducted unless Congress steps in.
Richard Hasen, an election law professor at UCLA, called Trump’s view “wrong and dangerous,” adding that any executive order to ban mail-in voting would be tossed out in court. For now, the facts stand: mail-in ballots are legitimate, widely used, and firmly embedded in both US and global elections.
FAQs:
1. What is a mail-in ballot?
It’s a ballot sent to a voter by mail, filled out at home, and returned by post or drop box.
2. Which countries use mail-in voting?
Countries like Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia, and Switzerland allow it.
3. Does mail-in voting cause widespread fraud?
No, experts say cases exist but are extremely rare.
4. Can the US president ban mail-in ballots?
No, election rules are set by states and Congress, not the president.
5. Why is mail-in voting important?
It gives access to voters who cannot get to polling places, such as overseas citizens and the elderly.
