The Hidden Cost Of Mail-in Voting

Mail-in ballots provide a great service to elderly and disabled voters, but they come at a price.

Fayette County Elections Administrator Donna Macik gave a report to the Commissioners Court last Thursday, May 14, about the May 2 municipal and school board elections. In it, Macik said each mail-in ballot costs the County about $10 to produce, mail out and process. She said her office sent out 350 mail-in ballots for the May 2 election, and 130 were not returned.

“So we lost about $1,300 just by people not returning their ballot by mail,” Macik said. “Ballot by mail is wonderful. It’s good for the people who use it. But we need to encourage them – if you’re going to ask for it, you need to reply with it.”

Texas law allows citizens to vote by mail under certain circumstances. To be eligible for a mail-in ballot, voters must meet at least one of the following conditions:

• be 65 years or older;

• be sick or disabled;

• be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance;

• be expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day; or

• be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.

Macik said voters can apply for a one-time ballot by mail for a specific election, or they may apply annually, in which case the election office will send the voter a ballot by mail for each election. Macik said most people opt for the annual application.

“I think we’re going to have to start doing a lot more education on the election stuff in the County so that people can understand the expenses that it does incur here,” Macik said.

Macik said she believes some people use mail-in voting as a convenience rather than a necessity.

“Vote by mail was originally set up so that people that were unable to physically come in and vote had a way to do it,” Macik said. “It wasn’t a convenience.”

Macik said State Legislators have been talking about limiting access to mail-in ballots over concerns about election fraud. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on March 31 which put some new hurdles in place for mail-in voting.

“I don’t know what the state’s going to do,” Macik told the Commissioners. “That’s up on docket for the next (legislative) session.”

Macik urged voters to vote in-person if they are able.

“I think sometimes people think that, ‘Oh, if I don’t send it in, it’s not a big cost,’” she said. “They don’t realize what all that does incur.”