Early and Absentee Voting

Early Voting 

In the District of Columbia and other thirty-nine states, any qualified individual can personally vote during a specific time (46 days) before the actual day of the election. Inclusive of the thirty-nine states are three states that mail ballots to the qualified voters. The states do not require any justification for individuals to participate in early or absentee voting. 

Absentee Voting 

This type of voting involves the sending of an absentee ballot via mail to those specific voters who requested. The voters can mail or personally return the ballot. Most states require that the eligible persons should apply for the absentee voting to receive the absentee ballots. The District of Columbia together with other twenty-eight states allow any eligible individual to participate in absentee voting without any justification or excuse whereas nineteen states require justification or excuse. Some of the states even provide a permanent list for the absentee voters hence those people who requested to be enlisted will automatically receive the absentee ballots for all the subsequent elections. 

All-mail Voting 

This type of voting encompasses the mailing of ballots to all the qualified voters. Usually, no application or request is required. Those voters who may prefer to vote in-person can use the available in-person voting sites. Only three states mail ballots to every qualified voter. However, Hawaii will adopt this all-mail voting by the year 2020. In other states, this type of voting is only offered for specific types of elections. According to the text, at least twenty-one states conduct certain elections entirely via mail. All the eligible individuals are sent the ballot by mail. After marking the ballot, the voter secretly puts it in a separate sleeve or mailing envelope, signs an affidavit on the envelope exterior and sends it back via mail. 

No early voting 

This situation refers to those states that do not permit pre-election voting. According to the link from the article, nine states do not provide options for pre-election voting. These states encompass Connecticut, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Rhode Island. Ideally, these states do not allow pre-election options meaning that be it on request, justification or excuse, no early election occurs. 

A Case Supporting Absentee Voting 

Absentee voter ballots for states such as California goes on for several pages. These pages allow for the voting of several arrays of things which the voters may not have heard of. Therefore, the voters have the opportunity of doing research on the candidates that will enable them to make a more accurate decision. For instance, most voters are aware of the presidential race. However, very few individuals may be aware of the candidates for local bond measures or school boards. Normally, a person can encounter the names in booth voting that he or she has ever heard of. Such a situation makes it difficult for the voter to decide because there is no room for research. Thus, absentee voting eases decision making during such cases. 

A case Against Early Voting 

Despite the convenience of early voting, it can also threaten the substantial nature of voters’ choices in a republican and democratic society. For instance, candidates present competing appeals to citizens prior to an election to offer them suitable information that will enable them to make the right choices. Also, voters often engage among themselves by deliberating and discussing about the decisions for the nation or states. Ideally, in this era of non-political disruptions, it is crucial to maintain the time for general election campaigns from the initial rallies to the final debates. The preservation of this campaign period enables the voters to discuss and think through the most significant issues before choosing the best candidate for the nation.