1. Vote by Mail: International Practice during COVID-19
- Author:
- Erica Shenin, Staffan Darnolf, and Katherine Ellena
- Publication Date:
- 10-2020
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- International Foundation for Electoral Systems
- Abstract:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has reinvigorated debate around alternative voting methods. A growing number of democracies successfully operate distance voting, in which ballots are delivered to voters’ home and voters then return ballots by mail or in person. The most effective administrations have scaled up operations over several electoral cycles, incrementally calibrating and perfecting capacity and safeguards. However, COVID-19 has suddenly increased demand for this complex election service. Election authorities, voters and politicians should therefore be cognizant of the risks and rewards associated with rapidly scaling up distance voting. Vote by Mail: International Practice During COVID-19, a new paper from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), compares practices across Europe, Asia, Oceania and different U.S. states. It then provides recommendations for legislators and election administrators – in the U.S. and globally – to address challenges related to distance voting.
- Topic:
- Elections, Voting, Public Health, Pandemic, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus