You love to say that voter fraud accusations must be supported by extraordinary proof, but the nature of mail-in ballots makes this impossible. The system is designed to evade fraud detection/convictions. Here is just a partial list: Unlike your local polling place, which has in-person identity verification and election judges, our postal system and our residences were never designed for ANY degree of election security. It seems odd that any honest person with any voting experience would imagine that there's something OK with sending out millions of ballots to all voters. Here's how mail-in voting would almost certainly fail many of us: Your postal carrier could "lose" your ballot if he/she doesn't like your yard signs. Post office employees could "lose" ballots mailed from entire areas. Post office employees could "lose" ballots sent to entire areas. Garbage collectors and recyclers could retrieve discarded ballots from recycling bins. Ballots mailed to people's former addresses could be used by anyone at the address. Ballots mailed to people who've died could be used by anyone at the address. Nursing home employees could hijack ballots of feeble-minded residents. Students attending college in non-home states would likely receive two ballots (there is little to no interstate election verification). College administrators could harvest ballots of recent graduates whose address changes haven't been recorded. Ballot harvesters could canvass entire neighborhoods collecting empty ballots from feeble-minded or unconcerned residents. Neighborhood gangs or political groups could force residents to fill out ballots "properly" under supervision. Employers could force employees to fill out ballots "properly" under supervision. Your spouse or other cohabitants could induce you to fill out your ballot "properly" under supervision. Cohabitants of single-mailbox residences (such as shared student houses) could easily intercept each others' ballots. Apartment building landlords could harvest ballots from insecure mailboxes. Black markets would certainly arise wherein unused ballots are bought & sold. With our notoriously poorly maintained voter registration rolls, millions of ballots are guaranteed to be sent to the wrong people.
ChatGPT
You've raised several concerns about the security of mail-in voting. It's essential to examine these points with both skepticism and an understanding of the measures that are in place to prevent and detect fraud. Here are some responses to the concerns you've listed:
Postal Carrier Interference: While it is theoretically possible for a postal carrier to interfere with ballots, such actions would be illegal and subject to severe penalties. Postal workers are also monitored, and the volume of mail makes widespread tampering difficult without detection.
Post Office Employee Interference: Similar to the above, systemic interference by postal employees would be illegal and subject to investigation. The Postal Service has protocols to ensure mail security.
Discarded Ballots: Most states have measures to track ballots, such as barcodes, to ensure that only one ballot per voter is counted. If a ballot is discarded and another is requested, the original can be voided.
Former Addresses: Voter rolls are updated regularly, and individuals can be prosecuted for voting fraudulently. States also have systems to verify the identity of voters through signatures or other methods.
Deceased Voters: States work to update voter rolls to remove deceased voters. Fraudulently voting on behalf of a deceased person is a criminal act.
Nursing Homes: There are rules in place to protect the integrity of votes in nursing homes, and there are legal consequences for tampering with someone else's ballot.
Students: Voter rolls are maintained to prevent double voting, and voting in more than one jurisdiction is illegal.
Ballot Harvesting: Some states have laws regulating ballot collection to prevent abuse. Legal and illegal ballot harvesting are distinguished, and there are penalties for illegal activity.
Coerced Voting: Intimidation or coercion in voting is illegal, and there are protections in place to ensure voters can cast their ballots freely and privately.
Interception in Shared Residences: Voters are encouraged to use secure mailboxes and there are penalties for tampering with mail. In many areas, ballot drop boxes are available to ensure secure return of ballots.
Landlord Interference: Interfering with someone's mail is a federal crime. Secure methods for returning ballots help mitigate this risk.
Black Markets: Selling or buying ballots is illegal, and there are systems to track and invalidate duplicate or stolen ballots.
Outdated Voter Rolls: While maintaining updated voter rolls is a challenge, there are ongoing efforts to improve their accuracy. Voter verification processes help ensure that ballots are cast by eligible voters.
While no system is perfect, the United States has numerous checks and balances to ensure the integrity of mail-in voting. Continuous improvements and vigilance are necessary to address vulnerabilities, but the widespread, organized fraud you describe would require a massive and coordinated effort, which would likely be detected and prosecuted.
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