Two bills in the Legislature aim to simplify the process of voting: One through providing prepaid postage on ballots, and the other by allowing voters to return ballots by email and fax. … The state would reimburse counties for the cost of postage. Critics say they support the intent of the bill, but are concerned about where to find the money. The bill would require $2.7 million in the next two-year budget, according to the Office of the Secretary of State. Counties would have to pay for the postage initially until they get reimbursed by the state. … Another proposal to allow ballots and signed declarations to be faxed or emailed also is prompting concern. House Bill 1143 would allow voters to do so by election night, without having to turn in a hard copy of their ballots to the county auditor. Armed forces members and overseas voters vote this way.
Cobb said the emailed and faxed ballots would have a signature, so elections officials can verify they are coming from the right voters. “The scan has the signature, so the auditors can still check that signature,” he said. “We see this as a very good efficiency measure that lets people’s vote count.”
Secretary of State Kim Wyman said she worries that, because the state’s use of electronic voting is relatively new, the state and county auditors don’t have the systems in place to handle large amounts of emailed and faxed ballots. She said that could cause problems in the event of a close election.
Full Article: Bills would allow voters to vote through email, fax, and without postage | Politics | The News Tribune.