Postal voting

With absentee voting the entire range of possibilities is called to conduct an election by mail instead of at the ballot box at the polling station. This is done in most countries before the actual election day or before the election days. With genuine letter choice the choice is denoted by voting by mail. A similar method is the pre-selection, in which a vote at the polling station is allowed before the actual election.

The absentee ballot sick, disabled, or otherwise make possible on election day prevented persons from exercising the right to vote. In some countries it is all free, instead of choosing the polling station by letter, so the turnout should be increased.

In Oregon, only the postal vote has been possible since 2004.

In addition to political elections, the postal vote is for example also used in corporation, council and club elections.

Vulnerability to fraud

• The ability of the voter, the documents for the absentee ballot blank to sell or fill in the presence of a voice purchaser.
• In contrast to the polling station no one wakes up in the election in their own home on compliance with the secrecy of voting; the influence of others is therefore not excluded.
• Theft of postal ballot paper by post ( both blank and filled in on the way to the voters when returning to the electoral authority ).
• The risk that the completed absentee ballot envelopes are changed or destroyed in the mail or at the store in the community or do not arrive on time there.
• The ballots received are not calibrated in Germany before the count with the electoral roll; good fake election documents can therefore not be detected.
• With forged signatures, it is possible to apply for postal ballot documents to other addresses.

Cases of electoral fraud in postal voting, there were, among others, in 1996 and 2002 in Dachau, in Birmingham 2005 and 2008 in Roding in Bavaria.

Germany

Introduction of postal voting

In Germany the postal voting was introduced for the parliamentary elections in 1957, to ensure the " universal suffrage ". This is one of the five principles of electoral law in the German democracy, meaning that every voter should have the opportunity to choose as simple as possible. In particular, elderly, sick and disabled people wanted to facilitate participation in the election.

Absentee ballot constitutional

The Federal Constitutional Court had in the years 1967 and 1981 deal with objections by the choice of postal votes and has considered these in the former form as constitutional. Both decisions were based on the fact that the threat to the secrecy of voting and the lack of public scrutiny by a higher generality of choice, so the widest possible turnout, are outweighed.

Legal regulation

In Germany the postal voting is regulated by the Federal Election Act and the Federal Electoral Regulations or the state election laws and state electoral laws ( for the election of representatives at the state and local level). One would like the voters do not impede the exercise of his right to vote. With the use of postal votes can not be assured that the voters really can freely and without influence to cast his vote had (the principle of secret ballot ), which is why you justify to 2008 to participate in the absentee ballot and make the reasons believable. However, this is no longer required since 21 March 2008 parliamentary and European elections.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said in its report, the OSCE / ODIHR Election Assessment Mission for the parliamentary elections in 2009:

" Although the legal and administrative procedures for absentee voting appear to have been developed with the aim to give the freedom and participation of voters priority should be given to review the existing safeguards against potential abuse of the postal voting system for their suitability. "

Implementation

The postal ballot documents be requested by completing and delivering or sending the electoral card. In many municipalities to apply for voting papers and postal ballot documents via the Internet on the homepage of the respective municipality is possible. Updated before elections lists with online links help in the search to the homepages. The exhibition of postal ballot paper is linked to the issue of a ballot paper. The issued ballots be noted in the register of voters. This prevents that voters choose both by letter and in the polling station, which would contradict the choice of legal principle of equal suffrage.

Voting papers will be sent by uncompleted printing about four weeks before the election of the registered voters per electoral lists. They contain:

• Ballot
• Red envelope with address
• Envelope without address, color, depending on the type of choice
• Ballot paper
• Instructions

For absentee ballots will be filled, plugged into the non- red envelope and taped it. He then completes the ballot paper from, put this with the aforementioned envelope in the red envelope and also sticks to this. The instructions are not dispatched.

For personal appearance of the voter in the polling place of the letter ballot can usually be completed on site in a to existing voting booth. The red letter ballot envelope is then inserted into a sealed ballot box, which are evaluated on election day along with the arrivals in the mail votes.

The postal ballot papers must be received by the municipality until the polls close.

Furthermore, foreign German who live in countries with unreliable postal system, leave their completed voting papers at the next diplomatic mission. This conveys to voters free of the envelopes by diplomatic bag to Germany, where they are also passed by a governmental records exchange to the elective offices. The red envelope can also be sent in a neutral envelope. The postage is payable by the voters abroad anyway.

Even after applying for and receiving of postal ballot documents can be selected directly on election day at the polling station. For this, the ballot is absolutely necessary.

Abolished providing reasons (2008)

The federal legislature examined in the years 2004 to 2007, both tightening and loosening of the absentee voting law. Changes on these tests he wanted to realize until the election no later than the 17th German Bundestag in 2009. On December 11, 2007, the grand coalition has introduced a bill that provides for the " abolition of the request reasons for absentee voting " (p. 1 of the draft ). The law was passed on March 17, 2008. The law was annulled only the condition ( in Article 1, No. 6) to be prevented in an election in his constituency. Together with the above-mentioned wording of the draft law seems clear that now no impediments to the urn choice must be given more when applying for a postal vote. Which the Federal Electoral Regulations on 11 December 2008 has now worn 2008 statement by the Second Ordinance Amending the Federal Electoral Code and the European elections Regulation of 3 December by the amendment of § 27 para 2, so that this change in the law now on the - for the management relevant - level regulation has been traced. The wording of the obligation that was specified in paragraph 2, was completely deleted and replaced by the scheme of another method aspect. The release of the postal ballot was in July 2013 in a decision by the Federal Constitutional Court (2 BvC 7/10) judged to be constitutional. Under constitutional law experts, this is not without controversy.

Modified counting

The views expressed in the postal votes are counted on election day in each constituency individually, whereas previously each constituency was counted as a whole. There is thus a much more detailed evaluation. In particular, the comparison between the ask voters and ballot box voters will be easier.

Use

As an absentee ballot in the general election in 1957 was the first time possible to made ​​4.9 % of voters use of it. By 1990, the proportion was usually below 11%, but rose rapidly and reached in the general election in 2009 21.4% (see table above).

In large cities, postal voting is particularly popular. In 2002, the ten largest cities in Germany 25 % of the voters will vote by absentee ballot from. In the western states postal voting is much more common than in the east.

Postal voting is from 42 % of voters conducted as early urn selection, ie they appear even in the community, get their ballots off and throw it into their own box. Only 52% of the postal ballot documents were sent by mail.

France

In France, there was also an absentee ballot, but it was abolished in the 1970s, as the postal workers were organized partly communist and was classified as a security risk with regard to electoral manipulation.

Austria

As of July 1, 2007 effective with electoral reform consists in Austria the general possibility of postal voting, after this the Article 26 was amended by the Austrian Federal Constitution.

According to Article 26 ( 6) B -VG From 1990 to 2007, carried the country voting in elections to the National Council, the election of the Federal President, and in referenda by letter. However, it was necessary to confirm the correct delivery of the voice through a second Austrian citizen.

From 2007, the absentee ballot at home and abroad is done by requesting an election card which can be used to personally unobserved and unaffected cast a ballot at an arbitrarily chosen location and send by post to the competent electoral authority. The confirmation of the correct tax is now carried by his own signature on the voter's card. The choice of card must be in nationwide elections ( parliamentary election, presidential election, elections to the European Parliament) until the eighth day (except the first ballot for the presidential election until the fifth day ) after the election at 14.00 clock in an election authority or Austrian representations have been received. For parliamentary and municipal elections, there are different regulations from country to country. In local elections and mayoral elections are needed to preserve the secrecy of the ballot ( in small communities, very few absentee votes could go, so individual conclusions on the preference of those who voted by absentee ballot, can be drawn, a count at the district level as in other elections deposits in local elections be naturally arrived from ) usually absentee voting cards until the deadline, in order to be counted with the other voices can. In state elections, there are two variants (up to a few days after the deadline, or ).

After several fraud and abuse cases is discussed since 2010 increased on a reform of postal voting in Austria.

Since the enactment of the suffrage amendment Act 2011 on 1 October 2011, the electoral map must at every federal election event not later than election day at 17.00 clock, arrived at the relevant district election authority or must be sold even in an open polling of the voting district of the voter on election day. " Tactical Select " after closing the polling stations should therefore be prevented in the future.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, the postal vote and choice - the " ballot box " - in virtually all national, cantonal and communal voting and elections now the norm. All voting ( voting ) and voting papers will be sent to the voters beforehand by mail. The number of open voting and polling stations, in which the voice can still be made ​​at the ballot box, was significantly reduced in recent years, but they are still abundant. In Switzerland, the voting and polling stations close in the voting Sunday lunch at twelve. Attempts of fraud are rare, but occur.

Is not chosen letter in cantonal affairs in those (small) cantons that still perform a rural community. Inherent in the system takes place here an open choice, a choice influenced by monitoring other voters is therefore possible in principle.

Alternatives to postal vote

In order to avoid the uncertain postal route different alternative are possible, but have other security issues in part:

• Early voting ( in Germany the so-called " absentee ballot on the spot" in the election office)
• The vote at another polling station
• Voting by another person (alternate option )
• "mobile ballot box " ( the electoral board goes to the voters, for example, in a hospital or nursing home )
• Internet choice