Absentee vs. Universal Ballot Voting

To the Editor:

Recent letters by former Democrat party chairs decried debate on universal voting by mail. Republicans are not opposed to absentee voting. Absentee ballots can be requested by individuals 65 or older; those with health issues preventing them from going to the polls; or those who will be absent from their county during early voting and election day. The Democrats are pushing

The Democrats are pushing for universal voting by mail; the unsolicited mass mail-out of ballots to all addresses. The current absentee ballot application process allows the EA’s office to ensure ballots are only sent to addresses of registered voters and to validate signatures when the ballots are returned. This ensures mail-in votes are legitimate. Do Dems oppose election integrity?

Per Eric Green’s letter last week, absentee ballots cost GOP votes. That’s true in cases of ballot harvesting, “lost” ballots, forged signatures, and coercion of the elderly. Eric provided statistics on convictions for voter fraud but ignored the difficulty of proving voter fraud. Those committing voter fraud don’t use their own names. And, if thousands of ballots are “lost,” misdirected, or delayed in delivery, who is accountable? He provided statistics on those supporting absentee voting but called it “mail-in ballots.” We have laws in place allowing absentee voting and defining the process. Let’s follow them.

Deluca’s letter notes that voters “deserve” choice. Voters have several choices. One, which both letters ignored: There will be almost three full weeks for early voting in Texas. Next, voters can apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. Or they can vote at the polls on election day. Do voters “deserve” to have their vote negated by voter fraud? No. Enough said.

Deborah Frank

La Grange