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The President’s recent escalation in verbal attacks on the United States Postal Service (USPS) are only the latest salvo in a long war against one of the oldest arms of government.In 2017, President Trump launched his first twitter broadside against the agency, complaining bitterly about the low rates charged to Amazon and other companies for package delivery.[1]As recently as April 24, 2020, Trump called the agency a “joke,” and falsely claimed it lost money on every e-commerce package it delivered.[2]Vilifying the postal service is a surprising political stance, as the Post remains Americans’ favorite government agency. A survey published by the Pew Research Center in April found that 91 percent of Americans held a favorable view of the postal service, higher than any other agency, including the second-place Centers for Disease Control (CDC).[3]Chart: Public Holds Broadly Favorable Views of Many Federal Agencies, Including CDC and HHSThe president is long known to have particular obsessions that dominate his tweeting and press conference discourse: NATO funding, fawning media coverage, “nasty” women that are mean to him, etc. USPS occupies an honored place in Trump’s pantheon of recurring boogeymen.Politically, the president is facing a crisis in his reelection campaign. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pile on new records in cases and deaths across the country.[4] Polls show him consistently trailing Joe Biden in the majority of battleground states.[5]As a masterful practitioner of culture war scapegoating, the president began flailing about for a new villain on which to focus the hatred of his loyal political base.The voting-by-mail system provides a convenient target for a flailing, incompetent president. The plan of attack follows the vintage Trump playbook:Concoct a big lie.Double down on the lie, repeating it enough to sink in with a credulous audience.Use the lie as cover to mask a political takeover of an independent agency.Derive political benefit from the ensuing chaos.Let’s examine this playbook in action, with the USPS as the latest victim.MAIL-IN VOTING WILL LEAD TO MASSIVE FRAUD AND ABUSE. IT WILL ALSO LEAD TO THE END OF OUR GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY. WE CAN NEVER LET THIS TRAGEDY BEFALL OUR NATION.[6]—President Donald Trump, tweeted on May 28, 2020.We will leave aside the fact that the president himself has voted by mail multiple times, and seems spectacularly unconcerned about the security of his own ballot.[7] Indeed, despite his current loud claims of massive fraud, the president plans to vote in this year’s election by mail as well. (He requested a ballot by mail this week, confirmed by county election officials in Florida).[8]Like most of the president’s lies, this one is easily debunked.The Washington Post, in partnership with the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), analyzed fraud cases “referred to law enforcement agencies in five elections held in Colorado, Oregon and Washington.”[9]Officials identified just 372 possible cases of double voting or voting on behalf of deceased people out of about 14.6 million votes cast by mail in the 2016 and 2018 general elections, or 0.0025 percent.[10]Looking at the data more broadly, we can see that the rate of fraud is miniscule. Over the past 20 years, 250 million votes have been cast by mail nationally.[11] According to a database run by The Heritage Foundation, over the past 20 years, 1,290 instances of voter fraud of all forms have been proven, resulting in at least 1,113 criminal convictions.[12]Amber McReynolds, a former Colorado election official and now the CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute, and Charles Stewart, director of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab,[13]have analyzed election fraud data. They have found that the number of actual fraud cases per state can be counted on one hand.One hundred forty-three cases of fraud using mailed ballots over the course of 20 years comes out to seven to eight cases per year, nationally. It also means that across the 50 states, there has been an average of three cases per state over the 20-year span. That is just one case per state every six or seven years.We are talking about an occurrence that translates to about 0.00006 percent of total votes cast. [14]An additional salient point: when fraud is caught, the most vocal scaremongers of voter fraud - Republicans - can be found among the culprits. One of the few prominent prosecutions of mail ballot fraud last year involved a Republican political operative tampering with absentee votes in North Carolina.[15]This is only one of numerous examples of Republicans caught in blatant in fraud.[16][17][18]Besides stringent punishment for voter fraud (including fines and jail time), mail-in balloting benefits from well-known security practices:Signature matching requirements, checked by both humans and technology.[19]Unique ballots built for each individual local election, with dozens of markers that would need to be successfully faked.[20] This includes the ballot’s size, style, and the weight of the paper used.[21]Voting has grown by 15% since 1996, and is consistently rated highly by the electorate. A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that 70% of Americans either somewhat or strongly favor having the option to vote by mail.[22]Chart: 23.1% of votes cast by mail in 2018. Why Is Voting By Mail (Suddenly) Controversial? Here's What You Need To KnowVoting by mail also appears to have little partisan impact, according to a study published in April by Stanford’s Institute for Economic Policy Research.In examining voter data in three states with staggered rollouts of vote-by-mail programs — California, Utah and Washington — the researchers found that the introduction of mail-in voting did not have an effect, on average, on the share of voter turnout for either Republicans or Democrats.Researchers also found that expanding vote-by-mail does not appear to increase the vote share for candidates of either political party. Taken together, the researchers say their findings essentially dispel concerns that mail-in voting would cause a major electoral shift toward one party.[23]“They need that money in order to have the Post Office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots. But if they don’t get those two items that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting, because they’re not equipped to have it.”“If we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money, that means they can’t have universal mail-in voting. They just can’t have it. Sort of a crazy thing. Very interesting.”[24]—President Donald Trump during a Fox Business interview, August 13, 2020.Before Trump ensconced his tweeting personage in the Oval office, the US Postal Service suffered through long-known budget issues. The insistence by Congress that the post office must pre-fund retiree and health benefits, along with a steep drop in mail flow, have been large contributors to the budget crunch.[25]The agency reported a loss of $9 billion last year alone.[26]Unfunded liabilities have reached over 200% since Trump entered office in 2016:USPS Unfunded Liabilities and Debt as a Percentage of USPS Revenue, Fiscal Years 2007 through 2018Chart: Key Issues: U.S. Postal Service's Financial Viability - High Risk IssueIt is against this backdrop that we must view the current fight over funding.In the now-infamous quote above, Trump is referring to a bill (supported by Democrats in Congress) that offers $25 billion in Covid-19 related emergency funding for USPS.[27] The bill also removes restrictions placed on a previous $10 billion line of credit granted to the agency.[28]With this in mind, we must also consider the new postmaster general, North Carolina businessman Louis DeJoy (recently nominated to the post in May by the USPS board of governors, all of whom are appointed by the president).Dejoy, a holder of “significant investments in companies that compete or do business with the USPS,”[29] still retains his multi-million dollar stake in his previous company, a USPS contractor.[30]Prior to his appointment, DeJoy was a fundraiser for the Republican National Convention and has given about $360,000 to Trump Victory, a super PAC supporting Trump’s reelection, according to federal filings.[31]Dejoy has instituted multiple changes at the agency, including deep cuts in staffing hours and reductions in overtime.[32]One particular change has alarmed rank-and-file USPS workers: the decision to decommission 10% of the agency’s mail-sorting machines.DeJoy, in service changes last month, has drastically reduced overtime and banned extra trips to ensure on-time mail delivery. His wholesale reorganizations ousted several agency veterans in key operational roles.And the USPS is currently decommissioning 10 percent of its costly and bulky mail-sorting machines, which workers say could hinder processing of election mail, according to a grievance filed by the American Postal Workers Union and obtained by The Washington Post.Those 671 machines, scattered across the country but concentrated in high-population areas, have the capacity to sort 21.4 million pieces of paper mail per hour.[33]Map: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.htmlThough overall mail volume is down, the pandemic has fueled a surge in package deliveries.[34] Coupled with already existing mail delays, could wreak havoc in the postal service as the agency is swamped in ballots for the November election.Dejoy and agency leaders have called the machine reductions “a matter of ‘routinely’ moving equipment to accommodate the mix of packages and letters in the mail stream,” which will result in greater efficiency gains.[35]Despite this claim, service delays have stuck Dejoy with the nickname of “Louie Delay.”[36]What is the result of all this chaos?The post office has notified 46 states (and D.C.) that voters could potentially be disenfranchised, due to slow-arriving ballots not delivered in time to be counted. (It is important to note that these warning letters to the states were planned before the appointment of Dejoy.)[37]Multiple states are planning extensions (some as the result of lawsuits) along with other measures to ensure ballots will be counted in the upcoming election.[38][39]With his alarm bells for mail ballot fraud, President Trump clearly believes that a reduction in voting by mail will help him win the election.[40]Adding to the upheaval, social media reports of the removal of mailboxes (reported across the country on 8/14), have also captured media attention.[41]Representatives for USPS have insisted that this is routine, and are moving mailboxes to higher-traffic areas.[42]NBC Montana reporter Maritsa Georgiou contacted the agency after 68 mailboxes were removed across the state.[43]She published the response from USPS spokesperson Kim Frum.Image: (Please note the Comic Sans font signature from the Sr. Public Relations Representative.) https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/dozens-of-montana-usps-drop-boxes-removedIn response to the uproar, USPS has promised not to remove any more mailboxes until after the election.[44]What can you do to ensure your mailed ballot arrives in time to be counted?I support the idea proposed by CNN columnist David Andelman. He is calling for all Americans to put a 55-cent stamp on their return envelope, even if it is pre-printed with bulk postage by their local election board.Most election mail carries the third-class or bulk rate of 20 cents, which can take as long as 10 days to reach its destination. First-class mail takes two to five days maximum. Until now, the postal service has treated election mail, including voter registration materials, voter information, ballot requests and the ballots themselves as first-class, no matter how much or how little postage they carry.According to the New York Times, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said DeJoy had "informed some states that they may need to pay a first-class rate to deliver ballots rather than the normal rate — nearly tripling the cost." According to the newspaper, the postal service said DeJoy's comments were merely a suggestion for local election officials seeking to curb costs, not an on official mandate.But there's a way to utterly frustrate DeJoy's suggestion.[45]The use of a 55-cent stamp would automatically override the lesser postage, forcing it to be moved to first class.[46] This would allow the ballot to hopefully arrive in time to be counted in the November election.Ultimately, if you are worried about your mail-in ballot, please ask for one as early as possible, and send in your vote as soon as your state’s law allows.Vote early, and vote safely.“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”—Quote chiseled above the entrance to the New York City Post office on 8th Avenue. Excerpted from “The Persian Wars” by Herodotus.[47]Footnotes[1] Trump, Amazon and the Postal Service: The story behind the tweet[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/27/trumps-claim-postal-service-loses-money-every-e-commerce-package-it-delivers/[3] Public Holds Broadly Favorable Views of Many Federal Agencies, Including CDC and HHS[4] Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.[5] Biden leads Trump in 5 of 6 battleground states: poll[6] Donald J. Trump on Twitter[7] Has President Trump Ever Voted by Mail?[8] After criticizing voting by mail, Trump, first lady request mail-in ballots [9] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/minuscule-number-of-potentially-fraudulent-ballots-in-states-with-universal-mail-voting-undercuts-trump-claims-about-election-risks/2020/06/08/1e78aa26-a5c5-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html[10] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/minuscule-number-of-potentially-fraudulent-ballots-in-states-with-universal-mail-voting-undercuts-trump-claims-about-election-risks/2020/06/08/1e78aa26-a5c5-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html[11] Let's put the vote-by-mail 'fraud' myth to rest[12] Voter Fraud Map: Election Fraud Database | The Heritage Foundation[13] Why Is Voting By Mail (Suddenly) Controversial? Here's What You Need To Know[14] Let's put the vote-by-mail 'fraud' myth to rest[15] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/north-carolina-political-operative-indicted-in-election-fraud-case-that-upended-congressional-race/2019/02/27/b0d5f004-3aaf-11e9-aaae-69364b2ed137_story.html[16] Two Republicans charged in Ohio election fraud scheme — and they won anyway[17] West Virginia mail carrier guilty of election fraud after altering ballot requests to Republican[18] Kansas Republican Rep. Steve Watkins charged with voter fraud [19] Let's put the vote-by-mail 'fraud' myth to rest[20] Why Is Voting By Mail (Suddenly) Controversial? Here's What You Need To Know[21] FACT CHECK: Trump Spreads Unfounded Claims About Voting By Mail[22] Two-Thirds of Americans Expect Presidential Election Will Be Disrupted by COVID-19[23] New research on voting by mail shows neutral partisan effects[24] Trump says he is refusing additional post office funding as part of his fight against mail-in voting[25] https://about.usps.com/news/delivers-facts/usps-delivers-the-facts.pdf[26] What's going on with the post office? Here's what we know[27] Collins, Feinstein Introduce Bill to Provide Up to $25 Billion in Emergency Financial Relief for U.S. Postal Service[28] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/29/postal-service-treasury-loan/[29] Financial disclosures reveal postmaster general's business entanglements and likely conflicts of interest, experts say[30] Financial disclosures reveal postmaster general's business entanglements and likely conflicts of interest, experts say[31] What's going on with the post office? Here's what we know[32] In new letter, USPS chief acknowledges 'unintended consequences' of recent policy changes[33] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html[34] U.S. Postal Service Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2020 Results[35] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html[36] Trump Is Hobbling the Mail the Old-Fashioned Way[37] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html[38] https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/court-absentee-ballots-that-come-after-election-wont-count/2020/07/15/a1068eec-c6ca-11ea-a825-8722004e4150_story.html[39] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html[40] Trump vows to block new Postal Service funding to undercut voting by mail[41] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/14/people-are-freaking-out-about-mailbox-removals-postal-service-says-its-routine/[42] Tester demands answers from postmaster general on reports of mailbox removals[43] Dozens of Montana USPS drop boxes to be removed[44] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/14/people-are-freaking-out-about-mailbox-removals-postal-service-says-its-routine/[45] Opinion: It'll cost you 55 cents to protect your vote this November[46] Opinion: It'll cost you 55 cents to protect your vote this November[47] https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/mission-motto.pdf

Original question:What is the goal of Trump's voter fraud task force?The presidential election integrity commission was established by executive order in May to investigate Trump’s claims of rampant voter fraud. As this item starts to occupy more and more headlines - I find it all very confusing, what is the goal and are they going about it the right way?The main goals, based on the past and present behavior and actions of Trump, seem to be:Voter intimidation.Voter suppression & voter restriction.Disenfranchising Voters.To ice his bruised ego (he lost the popular vote).Examples that back up the above goals I listed:Intimidation:Trump asked his base to be “election observers”: [1]Go down to certain areas and watch and study and make sure other people don’t come in and vote five times……The only way they can beat it in my opinion, and I mean this 100 percent, is if in certain sections of the state they cheat, okay? So I hope you people can sort of not just vote on the 8th — go around and look and watch other polling places and make sure that it’s 100 percent fine.Trump’s campaign website also added a “sign up” page for “election observers”:Appeal to motive in the below tweet:Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL. What are they trying to hide?— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2017Voter Suppression & Restriction: [2]Voter purges:The letter doesn’t ask whether states are complying with the parts of the law that expand opportunities to register. Instead it focuses on the sections related to maintaining the lists. That’s a prelude to voter purging.Usually the Justice Department would ask only a single state for data if it had evidence the state wasn’t complying with Motor-Voter. But a blanket request to every state covered under that law is virtually unprecedented...These parallel efforts show us exactly how the Trump administration will undertake its enormous voter suppression campaign: through voter purges. The voter rolls are the key. Registration is one of the main gateways to political participation. It is the difference between a small base of voters pursuing a narrow agenda and an electorate that looks like America.Will affect minority voters disproportionately:Here’s how the government will use voters’ data. It will create a national database to try to find things like double-voters. But the commission won’t be able to tell two people with the same name and birthday apart. Such errors will hit communities of color the hardest. Census data shows that minorities are overrepresented in 85 of the 100 most common last names.Purging voters is part of a larger malicious pattern that states have employed across the country. Georgia and Ohio are being sued for carrying out early versions of what we can expect from the Trump administration.Disenfranchising Voters: [3]The Voter Commission’s data request resulted in some people withdrawing their voter registration:Three thousand, three hundred and ninety-four Coloradans have withdrawn their voter registrations as of July 13, following the Trump administration’s request for voter data as part of the Commission on Election Integrity. An additional 182 citizens in the state have filed as confidential voters.Several other states have reported a similar uptick in citizens moving to keep their information out of the federal government’s hands.Bruised Ego:Trump cannot accept that he lost the popular vote:In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016Quick look at “voter fraud” claims: [4]The 1960 presidential election:…reports of deceased and other unregistered voters in largely African American districts in Illinois or cases of malfeasance throughout Texas were believed to have rigged John F. Kennedy’s victory over Richard Nixon.Former Attorney General John Ashcroft:Formed the “Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative” under George W. Bush’s presidencyDespite his coordination of the U.S. attorney offices with local election officials, only 24 people were convicted of improper or illegal voting and 14 non-citizens were found to be illegally voting in federal elections between 2002 and 2005.Claims of Voter Fraud in New Jersey:There were reports in 2004 that 4,755 deceased voters cast ballots in New Jersey. After careful comparison between voter rolls and death records, there were no official accounts of voter fraud.Claims of voter fraud in New York:In New York in both 2002 and 2004, 2,600 deceased voters allegedly voted, only to be removed from the register after an investigation revealed clerical errors and not malfeasance.Paranoia over “voter fraud” leads to voter suppression.North Carolina:Supreme Court rejected an appeal to reinstate North Carolina’s stringent voter identification laws that were found to discriminate against African Americans “with almost surgical precision.”Within days following this ruling, the court also found that two of North Carolina’s congressional redistricting maps resulted from unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. The decision—even supported by the more conservative Justice Clarence Thomas—found that African Americans were unfairly packed in two concentrated black districts, thereby minimizing their political influence in major elections.Wisconsin:Wisconsin’s efforts mirrored those in North Carolina where advocates purported that nearly 300,000 people lacked the proper ID to participate in the 2016 presidential election, even after parts of the state’s law were deemed unconstitutional upon appeal.Florida:In Florida, 1.5 million people were disenfranchised by a law that disqualifies ex-felons from voting, resulting in one in every four African American residents unable to vote in 2016.The 10 members in Trump’s “Commission on Election Integrity”:The above chart is based on information from a Washington Post article. [5]Mike Pence said that the “Commission on Election Integrity” will: [6]…Initiate a full evaluation of voting rolls in the country and the overall integrity of our voting system in the wake of this past election.Closer look into Kris Kobach:On November 9th, 2016, Kobach emailed a Trump transition team member about amending the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA): [7] [8]Kobach wants to amend the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). Passed in 1993, the NVRA aims to increase voter registration: Its provisions include requiring that motor vehicle and public assistance agencies provide voter registration opportunities, and allows for registration by mail.“Interstate Crosscheck System”: [9]The “Interstate Crosscheck System” is faulty at stopping voter fraud and is conducted by Kansas election authorities:States participating in the program, known as the Interstate Crosscheck System, send their voter registration files to Kansas…Each participating state receives back a list of their voter registrations that match the first name, last name and date of birth of a voter in another state. Crosscheck provides some guidelines for purging voter registrations from the rolls.The “Interstate Crosscheck Program” is inherently flawed:In theory, the program is supposed to detect possible cases of people voting in multiple locations. But academics and states that use the program have found that its results are overrun with false positives, creating a high risk of disenfranchising legal voters…For every one illegitimate vote, “Interstate Crosscheck Program” would eliminate 200 legitimate votes:A statistical analysis of the program published earlier this year by researchers at Stanford, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania and Microsoft, for instance, found that Crosscheck “would eliminate about 200 registrations used to cast legitimate votes for every one registration used to cast a double vote.”Why the “Interstate Crosscheck Program” gets it so wrong:Factors for “matches” - birthdays and names:Crosscheck bases its “matches” primarily on just two factors: people's first and last names and their birth date. But in a country of 139 million voters, you're guaranteed to have tens of thousands of individuals who share both names and birthdays.For instance, in a 2007 paper, elections experts Michael McDonald and Justin Levitt examined voter files from New Jersey's 2014 elections. In those elections, the most common names — William Smith, Maria Rodriguez, etc. — showed up hundreds of times, reflecting their prevalence in the general population.Shared birthdays are even more common — statistically speaking if you have a group of just 23 people, there's a greater than 50 percent chance that at least two of them will share the same birthday.At 180 people, according to McDonald and Levitt, there's a 50 percent chance that two of them will share the same birth date — month, day and year.So if you have 282 William Smiths, as in New Jersey's voter rolls in 2004, you'd expect four of them to share the exact same birthday. Those four William Smiths would be flagged as potentially fraudulent voters by Kobach's Crosscheck system.Disorganized Voter files:…Voter files are notoriously messy and often incomplete. Among the 3.6 million New Jersey voters McDonnell and Levitt analyzed, for instance, nearly 1 million were missing a birth date completely. Ten thousand were listed with a birth date of Jan. 1, 1753, and another 20,000 listed as Jan. 1, 1800 — likely placeholder values that were never updated.Multiply those figures up to the national level, and you can see how a system that naively matches names and birth dates is going to return a lot of noise — and very, very little in the way of people actually trying to game the voting system.There's no question that incomplete voter data is a problem. But comparing incomplete data sets against each other isn't likely to solve that problem.Data on someone registering and voting in two states:Boiling it all down, out of the 240,000 paired registrations that Crosscheck sent to Iowa, there were only six cases where it appeared that the same person registered and voted in two different states.In other words, well over 99 percent of the 'matches' sent to Iowa were unlikely to have anything to do with even attempted voter fraud.Incidentally, that's in line with Kobach's prosecution record on Crosscheck cases: a grand total of nine successful convictions so far, “mostly older Republican males,” according to local media reports.Crosscheck’s “User Guide”:…Crosscheck's user guide recommends purging older voter registrations when the name and partial Social Security number match the name and SSN of a more recent registration.…Harvard, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania and Microsoft team estimate that following this guideline would result in 200 deletions of legitimate voter registrations for each real-world case of double voting it prevented.Kobach loves the “Interstate Crosscheck Program” and wants to take it to a national level - that’s concerning:Kobach's championing of Crosscheck is one reason many voting rights advocates are concerned that President Trump's voter fraud commission may be a vehicle for recommending mass voter purges……In his opening remarks before the election commission he said the Crosscheck program “illustrates how a successful multi-state effort can be in enhancing the integrity of our elections and in keeping our voter rolls accurate. I'm confident that this commission will be equally successful on the national level.”…If the system is primarily a vehicle for false positives, why bother using it at all?…the naming of Kobach to President Trump's voter fraud commission ensures that Crosscheck will continue to have a role in the spotlight this year. And if the Republican Party has its way, Crosscheck will expand — the 2016 GOP party platform called for “every state to join the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program to keep voter rolls accurate and to prevent people from voting in more than one state in the same election.”Kris Kobach sent a letter to all 50 states (June 28th, 2016), requesting information on voters: [10]This letter asked for: [11]The information requested includes the names, addresses, birthdates, political party (if recorded), last four digits of the voter's Social Security Number and which elections the voter has participated in since 2006, for every registered voter in the country.It would seem that Kobach desires to use “Interstate Crosscheck System” on all the information sent in regarding the information he requested.The ACLU said this about the request from Kobach:As a part of Donald Trump’s Election Integrity Commission, Kris Kobach sent letters across the country, asking state representatives for details on every registered voter in the country. This is an unprecedented government request for information on American voters, including names, addresses, birthdates, political affiliation, last four digits of Social Security numbers, and voting history.Here is a chart from the ACLU regarding where each state stands on these requests:After Kobach’s letter, there are currently seven federal lawsuits that have been filed in July (2017) against Trump’s “Commission on Election Integrity”: [12]The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit on July 18th, 2017. The lawsuit alleged that the “Commission on Election Integrity”: [13]“was formed with the intent to discriminate against voters of color in violation of the Constitution…to reaffirm President Trump’s false allegations of millions of ‘illegal’ votesto provide a basis for actions that will target African-American and Latino voters…rather than objectively analyze an issue of national significance.”It went on further, saying:“Statements by President Trump, his spokespersons and surrogates…as well as the work of the Commission as described by its co-chairs, are grounded on the false premise that Black and Latino voters are more likely to perpetrate voter fraud…”The suit points to the below evidence:Trump’s repeated lies that “millions of illegals” voted in the electionPence repeating Trump’s claim/defending it [14]Kobach repeating Trump’s claim: [15]“I think the president-elect is absolutely correct when he says the number of illegal votes cast exceeds the popular vote margin between him and Hillary Clinton at this point.”Hans von Spakovsky’s ties to the “Public Interest Legal Foundation”The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a lawsuit against the Commission on July 3, 2017, alleging that: [16]“the Commission’s demand for detailed voter histories also violates millions of Americans’ constitutional right to privacy.”The “Commission on Election Integrity” asked states to stop sending voter information until this lawsuit was resolved [17]The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on July 10th, 2017, alleging that the Commission was not following proper transparency laws: [18]The lawsuit charges the commission with failing to comply with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which is designed to ensure public accountability of all advisory committees.The ACLU said that the Commission was not making any of the topics discussed available to the publicThree days later, the White House had a page added to its website which contained some documents regarding the meetings [19]The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed a lawsuit similar to the ACLU’s on July 10th, 2017, citing the Commission’s failure to comply with transparency laws [20]The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law also filed a Hatch Act Complaint against Kobach, saying that he improperly used his role on the Commission to promote his upcoming run for Governor in Kansas [21]The Florida ACLU filed a lawsuit on July 10th, 2017 (separate from the other ACLU lawsuit) against the Commission, alleging that the collection efforts were: [22]“…an unjustified invasion of privacy not authorized under the Constitution and laws of the United States or the individual states.”Public Citizen filed a lawsuit on July 10, 2017, similar to the lawsuit from ACLU Florida, alleging that the Commission: [23]“collection and dissemination of [voter] information violates the Privacy Act, which prohibits the collection, use, maintenance or distribution of any ‘record describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.’ ”Public Citizen is requesting a temporary restraining order on the Commission’s request regarding voter informationCommon Cause also filed a lawsuit regarding Privacy Act violations on July 14, 2017, against the Commission: [24]“Common Cause asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to order the commission, [the Department of Homeland Security], and [the Social Security Administration] to stop seeking and using the voter history and party affiliation of voters, and return any such data it has already obtained from any state.”How Kobach’s request could be unconstitutional: [25]Kobach’s goal seems to be collecting personal information on people to put in a national voter file [26]The files would collect information not limited to:NameAddressPolitical party affiliationVoting HistorySome states include even more information: [27]Date of birthTelephone numbersEmail addressesInformation about minors (some states “pre-register” minors so that they can automatically vote when they turn 18)“Publicly Available” is not a cut and dry definition: [28]In some states, voter files are widely accessible, but not to everyoneSome states restrict “why” one can have access to voter filesFor example, Texas prohibits access to voter information used for commercial profitsVoter information is sometimes limited to: [29]Political partiesCandidatesNonprofitsAny state that have these types of restrictions are automatically breaking their own laws by sending information to back to KobachNo one knows what the Commission’s security protocols will be (or if they even have any)Asking for this information via email is suspectMakes it appear that the Commission has no security protocolsAnd/or doesn’t care about securityNo one knows exactly what the Commission will do with the infoWhat laws could this data request be breaking? Here are some of them: [30]The Privacy Act:We’ve long had privacy and security concerns about government recordkeeping in this country. Back in 1974, Congress passed the Privacy Act, regulating how federal government entities keep records. There are a number of substantive requirements for a body like the Kobach commission. Those actually include specific limits on data that Kobach has asked for, like voting history and party affiliation.The Paperwork Reduction Law:The Paperwork Reduction Act, a law with a longstanding pedigree (if an uninspiring name), governs agencies that want to issue potentially burdensome information requests. The statute covers requests that are mandatory or voluntary, aimed at individuals or organizations. The guiding idea behind the PRA is simple: before the federal government enlists individuals, companies, organizations, or state governments into potentially burdensome fact-finding, it should have a good justification and a well thought out plan.Procedural requirements found within the PRA:PRA requires federal agencies to satisfy procedural requirements designed to ensure a deliberative approach informed by the people who will feel the effects of federal action. Much of it is basic stuff. Before sending out an information request to more than ten people, a federal agency must articulate a justification for doing so. It must weigh any potential benefits to the government against the burdens that its requests will impose on recipients. It must have a plan for conducting the request and managing the information it receives. Perhaps most importantly, it must engage the public through two rounds of detailed public notification, coupled with opportunities for the public to weigh in. Only then may the agency seek final approval from the White House’s budget office, which oversees compliance with the PRA, to go forward.The election commission didn’t do any of those things. It simply ignored the statute’s requirements. In other words, its request to every Secretary of State in the country violated federal law.…In other words, the Commission’s failure to adhere to the PRA isn’t a matter of mere technical non-compliance; it flouted a legal framework whose provisions would have offered a safeguard against a misguided, and potentially quite harmful, national fishing expedition for voter data.…For state officials on the fence about whether to provide the data, the PRA should weigh significantly in their decisions. The Kobach letter was, after all, an unlawful request. State officials should pause long and hard before turning over such sensitive data – data that is foundational to the democratic process…And on top of all of that, the letter from Kobach also creates a major target for hackers: [31]Digital security experts say the commission’s request would centralize and lay bare a valuable cache of information that cyber criminals could use for identity theft scams — or that foreign spies could leverage for disinformation schemes.Quick facts on voter fraud:Justin Levitt, Loyola Law School professor, found: [32]2000 - 2014 = 35 cases of voter impersonation out of ~800 million ballots that were cast in primary, municipal, special, and other elections.News21 journalism looked into voter impersonation as well as people voting twice, vote buying, absentee fraud, etc from 2000 - 2012. [33]For voter impersonation: 10For other alleged fraud cases: 2,068~50% of those votes ended with acquittals or charges being droppedThe State Board of Elections in North Carolina found: [34]1 case of voter fraud out of 4.8 million votes in the 2016 General ElectionThere were 500 ineligible votesAlmost all of those 500 were people voting who genuinely thought they couldIn 2007, the NYT found that there were: [35]86 convictions of voter fraud from 2002–2007Quick background on voter ID laws (hint, its voter suppression): [36]Voter ID laws disproportionately affect minorities:These laws have a disproportionate effect on minorities, which is exactly what you would expect given that members of racial and ethnic minorities are less apt to have valid photo ID.States that do have strict voter ID laws tend to vote more conservative:Because minority voters tend to be Democrats, strict voter ID laws tilt the primary electorate dramatically.All else equal, when strict ID laws are instituted, the turnout gap between Republicans and Democrats in primary contests more than doubles from 4.3 points to 9.8 points.Likewise, the turnout gap between conservative and liberal voters more than doubles from 7.7 to 20.4 points.States that pass strict Voter ID laws tend to have GOP legislatures:By instituting strict voter ID laws, states can alter the electorate and shift outcomes toward those on the right:Where these laws are enacted, the influence of Democrats and liberals wanes and the power of Republicans grows.Strict ID laws are passed almost exclusively by Republican legislatures.Quick look at what States have Voter ID laws: [37]Some states seem energized by Trump’s voter fraud conspiracies, many pushing for more Voter ID laws in 2017:At least 99 bills to restrict access to the polls have been introduced (or have been carried over from previous sessions) in 31 states this year; that's already more than double the number last year, according to data compiled by the Brennan Center.Voter ID — requiring voters to prove who they are with identifying documents — is the most common requirement, but changes to the voter registration process, such as asking people to prove their U.S. citizenship, are a close second.Why obtaining a government issued ID tends to be more challenging for minority demographics, collectively as well as some of the reasons that these laws are discriminatory: [38]Cost:Obtaining ID Costs Money.Even if ID is offered for free, voters must incur numerous costs (such as paying for birth certificates) to apply for a government-issued ID.Underlying documents required to obtain ID cost money, a significant expense for lower-income Americans. The combined cost of document fees, travel expenses and waiting time are estimated to range from $75 to $175.Travel:The travel required is often a major burden on people with disabilities, the elderly, or those in rural areas without access to a car or public transportation.In Texas, some people in rural areas must travel approximately 170 miles to reach the nearest ID office.Voter ID laws are discriminatory:Minority voters disproportionately lack ID.Nationally, up to 25% of African-American citizens of voting age lack government-issued photo ID, compared to only 8% of whites.Some Voter ID laws exclude forms of ID in a discriminatory way:Texas:allows concealed weapons permits for voting, but does not accept student ID cards.North Carolina:Until its voter ID law was struck down, North Carolina prohibited public assistance IDs and state employee ID cards, which are disproportionately held by Black voters.Wisconsin:Until recently, Wisconsin permitted active duty military ID cards, but prohibited Veterans Affairs ID cards for voting.Enforcement of Voter ID laws shows a trend of discriminatory behavior:A Caltech/MIT study found that minority voters are more frequently questioned about ID than are white voters.Voter ID laws reduces the turnout of minority voters:Several studies, including a 2014 GAO study, have found that photo ID laws have a particularly depressive effect on turnout among racial minorities and other vulnerable groups, worsening the participation gap between voters of color and whites.The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a right wing group that is funded by corporations like Exxon Mobile and the Koch brothers, is the culprit behind most of the voter ID laws: [39]Lawmakers proposed 62 photo ID bills in 37 states in the 2011 and 2012 sessions, with multiple bills introduced in some states.Ten states have passed strict photo ID laws since 2008, though several may not be in effect in November because of legal challenges.…More than half of the 62 bills were sponsored by members or conference attendees of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a Washington, D.C.-based, tax-exempt organization.At ALEC’s annual conferences, legislators, nonprofits and corporations work together without direct public input to develop bills that promote smaller government…The group’s Public Safety and Elections Task Force at the 2009 Atlanta meeting approved the “Voter ID Act,” a photo ID bill modeled on Indiana and Georgia laws.…Arkansas state Rep. Dan Greenberg, Arizona state Sen. Russell Pearce and Indiana state Rep. Bill Ruppel (three Republicans now out of office) led drafting and discussion of the Voter ID Act.Critics of photo voter ID laws…say voters without a driver’s license or the means (a birth certificate or Social Security card) to obtain free ID cards at a state motor vehicles office could be disenfranchised.They claim that ALEC pushed for photo ID laws because poor Americans without ID are likely to vote against conservative interestsThe White House asked for feedback on the “Election Integrity Commission” on the White House website, which didn’t go so well. For example: [40]There was a lot of swearing:People called out Kobach and Pence specifically:Others questioned the integrity of the Commission:There were comparisons to Big Brother:Others demanded that the commissioners explain themselves:And my personal favorite:So, in conclusion, Trump’s “Commission on Election Integrity” is a waste of taxpayer money. The goal of the Commission is to create a “solution” that is looking for problems that don’t exist as well as creating problems.Are they going about it the right way? No.The premise of this Commission is based on lies.How the Commission is going about collecting the information based on a false premise is wrong.The data the Commission is wanting is likely a violation of privacy laws.Footnotes[1] Trump Asks Supporters to Prevent ‘Rigged’ Election by Becoming ‘Observers’[2] Opinion | The Voter Purges Are Coming[3] Some voters unregistering after Trump administration's data requests[4] Trump’s election integrity commission needs to redress voter suppression, not fraud[5] Analysis | Here are the first 10 members of Trump’s voting commission[6] Trump's election commission meets as critics condemn president's 'biggest lie'[7] Kris Kobach Email [8] This Trump administration official wants to make it more difficult to vote[9] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/07/20/this-anti-voter-fraud-program-gets-it-wrong-over-99-of-the-time-the-gop-wants-to-take-it-nationwide/?utm_term=.b08bbbc38661[10] https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3881818/SOS-Letter.pdf[11] Election Integrity Commission - State Responses[12] Trump’s voter commission is now facing at least 7 federal lawsuits[13] http://www.naacpldf.org/files/about-us/EIC%20Complaint.pdf[14] Watch Mike Pence try to defend Trump’s false claim that ‘millions’ voted illegally[15] Kris Kobach agrees with Donald Trump that ‘millions’ voted illegally but offers no evidence[16] EPIC v. Presidential Election Commission[17] https://epic.org/privacy/litigation/voter/epic-v-commission/EPIC-v-Commission-government-filing-on-DOD-database.pdf[18] American Civil Liberties Union v. Donald Trump[19] Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity[20] Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Files Lawsuit To Halt Commission Hearing for Failure to Comply With Federal Law | Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law[21] Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Files Hatch Act Complaint Against Kris Kobach | Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law[22] https://www.aclufl.org/2017/07/10/coalition-of-voting-rights-leaders-and-florida-voters-sue-presidential-commission-over-request-for-voter-information/[23] https://www.citizen.org/media/press-releases/public-citizen-sues-trump-administration-prevent-government’s-collection-voter[24] http://www.commoncause.org/press/press-releases/PenceKobachLawsuit.html?referrer=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/07/18/trumps-voter-fraud-commission-is-now-facing-at-least-7-federal-lawsuits/?utm_term=.696f889ac706?referrer=http://www.denverpost.com/2017/07/18/trumps-voter-commission-facing-several-federal-lawsuits/[25] All Your Voter Data Are Belong To Us | Take Care[26] http://www.ncsl.org/Documents/Elections/The_Canvass_February_2016_66.pdf[27] Full List Facts and Info - Voter List Information[28] States - Voter List Information[29] ELECTION CODE CHAPTER 18. PROCEDURES FOR IDENTIFYING REGISTERED VOTERS[30] President Trump’s Election Commission Has Already Violated Federal Law | Take Care[31] Trump voter-fraud panel’s data request a gold mine for hackers, experts warn[32] Voter Turnout Data - United States Elections Project[33] A News21 2012 National Project[34] https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/sboe/Post-Election%20Audit%20Report_2016%20General%20Election/Post-Election_Audit_Report.pdf[35] In 5-Year Effort, Scant Evidence of Voter Fraud[36] Analysis | Do voter identification laws suppress minority voting? Yes. We did the research.[37] States push new voter requirements, fueled by Trump[38] Oppose Voter ID Legislation - Fact Sheet[39] Oppose Voter ID Legislation - Fact Sheet[40] https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/docs/comments-received-june-29-through-july-11-2017.pdf

By November many of us will have already voted. Months before. About 40 of our 50 states have something that many of them call “early voting’. With our patchwork system,with every state operating as a small independent country, this before the election date voting, has more paths than a National Park.Some are starting to vote in mid September. Some start in early October. A few have voting by mail for all. And there are as many colors as there are in the rainbow.The real world results are that Trump has to get in control of the Virus, get everyone back to work and school, and set things back to a near normal by Labor Day. That’s just a tad longer than 30 days. The greatest sustained effort by our very best people in our history would be amazed to be able to work that magic in just a month.Those governing us now have been sitting on a bill from the House for 80 days and now have let the deadline go without acting on their renewal of help for those needing money for rent and food in yes August. That money can’t reach all those in need this week, or next, but perhaps by the 15th or 20th. The landlord may be chill enough to wait for the money. But those in need of food will have a losing battle with their empty stomachs.Worse the GOP is now at war with itself in Congress as they do not have a relief plan that they can all agree upon. Sounds to me like the same national health care plan that they were to come up with to complete with Obama Care. That baby is still not born and we have been waiting for 10 years.Biden is the other head ache band that has not been found to be universally dangerous. He has been on the political scene for forty years. And in that time we have come to know him, and have general found him to be good, but not great. Even members of the other party have little to say against him. They like Joe, and can picture themselves voting for him. Finding even one bus load of Democrats who have no trouble with voting for Trump would be a struggle. Which is why we can look at astonishment at Texas, and Florida, Alaska, and Arizona as they seem to turn less red and more blue every time we look. What we do not see anywhere is a once blue state in 2016 that has drifted into the red. What we do see is once deep red suburbia districts turning deep blue. It seems that even the in the bag votes of those women is not so sure at all. The recent decision to pull down all the ads has hung a lantern on the fact that Trump has found that so far all his ways and means to pull down Biden have not worked.The Biden side has mastered the laid back style on a chill level of cool that seems both minimal and crazy as a fox. While Joe says little and does less, the Lincoln Project has a killer ad out nearly everyday. While they throw bombs, Joe smiles and speaks his truth in a calm and reasonable way.I believe that the Democrats have figured out what Trump has not. This election is all about the Virus. While Trump has failed every day since January. Biden has presented better ideas and has yet to step into the ring with the invisible killer. With 70% of us having given this administrator a F on this test. So with just 30% who are good with Trump’s work. In the next 30, 60, or 90 days, more pain is coming, and in greater numbers in those Mid West heartland areas that had thought that this Virus was just a coastal city thing. A storm is just something you read about in the paper, until a tree trunk has taken out your car while it was parked in the driveway in front of your house. Then it’s a major tragedy, and the killer storm has just been made real for you.While those who will never for for Trump are not ever going to reverse that. Those who thought that they might, are now questioning where that path has lead them.This awakening has also changed hearts and minds in the Senate, House, and Governor's mansions in many a red state. The alarm is ringing and they are scrambling toward the life boats. they have no plan, or any leader to follow. It would be amusing if the cost was not in blood and treasure. It would be sad if they had not been Trump’s chief enablers in crime. But as it is a extinction event for the once Grand Olde Party.The way for Trump to win, is only if he can steal and fake the election, and those ways and means are not in public view.********************************Everything below this line is from The National Conference of State Legislatures, established in 1975, is a "nonpartisan public officials’ association composed of sitting state legislators" from the states, territories and commonwealths of the United States.You can click into their web page and here NCSL IN D.C.Or read what I copied and pasted over below.TABLE OF CONTENTSEarly Voting State LawsAll Mail-In StatesEarly Voting in U.S. TerritoriesAdditional ResourcesCONTACTNCSL Elections TeamState Laws Governing Early Voting8/2/2019This page contains information on statutory requirements relating to the start and end of in-person early voting (including states with all-mail elections) for the 39 states and the District of Columbia that offer this option. Two additional states, Virginia and Delaware, have enacted early voting but it will not be in place until 2020 and 2022, respectively. Nine states, Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, do not offer pre-Election Day in-person voting options.When statutes address locations, days and hours, we have included this information as well. Information provided here is generally for statewide general elections. Early voting periods for municipal or primary elections may be different.The time period for early voting varies from state to state:The date on which early voting begins may be as early as 45 days before the election, or as late as the Friday before the election. The average starting time for early voting is 22 days before the election.Early voting typically ends just a few days before Election Day.Early voting periods range in length from four days to 45 days; the average length is 19 days.Of the states that allow early in-person voting, 24 and the District of Columbia allow some weekend early voting. Saturday: 20 states, plus the District of Columbia provide for voting on Saturday. Four additional states (California, Kansas, Vermont and Massachusetts) leave it up to county clerks who may choose to allow Saturday voting. Delaware and Virginia will also include Saturday voting when the laws go into effect. Sunday: Five states (Alaska, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Ohio) allow for Sunday voting. Five states (California, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Massachusetts) leave it up to county clerks who may choose to be open on Sundays. Florida mandates early voting must begin, including Sunday, the 10th day and end the third day prior to the election for state and federal elections. Local election officials also have the discretion to allow early voting the Sunday prior.This page is not intended to provide voters with information on when to vote, but rather to provide a state-by-state comparison of policies. To find specific dates and times for your voting district check with your local elections office. This page has information on how to contact your local elections office.For further information on pre-Election Day voting, visit NCSL's Web page Absentee and Early Voting, or contact the Early Voting Information Center.The box allows you to conduct a full text search or type the state name.State Laws Governing Early VotingStateEarly Voting BeginsEarly Voting EndsLocationsHours and DaysAlaskaAS §15.20.064, 15.20.045 and 6 AAC 25.50015 days before electionDay of electionElections supervisors’ officesOther locations as designated by election directorVaries by locationArizonaARS §16-541, 16-54226 days before electionFriday before electionRecorder’s officeAny other locations in the county the recorder deems necessaryNot specifiedArkansasAR Code §7-5-41815 days before election5 p.m. Monday before electionOffices of county clerkOther locations as determined by county board of election commissionersNot specifiedCaliforniaElec. Code §3001, 301829 days before electionDay before electionCounty election officials’ officesSatellite locations as determined by county election officialsVaries from county to countyDelawareDel. Code Title 15, Chapter 54(Note: goes into effect in 2022)At least 10 days before an electionSunday before electionDesignated by state election commissionerAt least one per county and one additional in the City of WilmingtonAt least 8 hours per day. Polling sites must open at 7 a.m. on at least 5 days of early voting. Closing time is 7 p.m.Includes the Saturday and Sunday before the electionDistrict of ColumbiaDC ST § 1-1001.097 days before election, but in-person absentee voting is available 15 days beforeSaturday before election for early voting, day before election for in-person absenteeCouncil ChambersOne satellite location in each ward8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.Sunday excludedFloridaFla. Stat. §101.65710 days before electionMay be offered 11 to 15 days before an election that contains state and federal races, at the discretion of the elections supervisor3 days before electionMay end 2 days before an election that contains state and federal races, at the discretion of the elections supervisorMain or branch offices of elections supervisorsOther sites designated by the elections supervisor (locations must provide all voters in that area with equal opportunity to vote)No less than 8 or more than 12 hours per dayElection supervisors may choose to provide additional days of early voting, including weekendsGeorgiaGA Code §21-2-380 and §21-2-382Fourth Monday prior to a primary or election; as soon as possible prior to a runoffFriday immediately prior to a primary, election or runoffBoard of registrars’ officesOther sites as designated by boards of registrars (must be a government building generally accessible to the public)Normal business hours on weekdays9 a.m.-4 p.m. on the second Saturday prior to primary or electionElection officials may provide for early voting beyond regular business hoursHawaiiHRS §15-710 working days before electionSaturday before electionClerks’ officesOther sites designated by clerksHours determined by county clerks.IdahoID Code §34-1006 and 34-1002Third Monday before election (in-person absentee)5 p.m., Friday before electionDetermined by county clerkNot specifiedIllinois10 ILCS 5/19A-15 and 10 ILCS 5/19A-2040th day before election for temporary polling locations and 15th day before election for permanent locationsEnd of the day before election dayAn election authority may establish permanent and temporary polling places for early voting at locations throughout the election authority’s jurisdiction, including but not limited to:Municipal clerk’s officeTownship clerk’s officeRoad district clerk’s officeCounty or local public agency officeEarly voting locations must be provided at public universitiesPermanent early voting locations must remain open from the fifteenth day before an election during the hours of 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. or 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays.Beginning eight days before an election, they must remain open 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m.-Noon on Saturdays and holidays, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sundays.Permanent early voting locations must stay open at least 8 hours on any holiday and a total of at least 14 hours on the final weekend during the early voting period.Election authorities may decide the days and hours for temporary early voting locations, beginning the fortieth day before an election.IndianaInd. Code §3-11-4-1 and 3-11-10-2628 days before election (in-person absentee)Noon, day before electionOffice of circuit court clerkCounty election board may adopt a resolution to authorize the circuit court clerk to establish satellite offices for early votingThe office of the circuit court clerk must permit in-person absentee voting for at least seven hours on each of the two Saturdays preceding election day, but a county with fewer than 20,000 voters may reduce this to a minimum of four hours on each of the two Saturdays preceding election dayIowaIA Code §53.10 and 53.11(b)29 days before election (in-person absentee)5 p.m., day before electionCommissioners’ officesSatellite locations may be established by commissionerSatellite location must be established upon receipt of a petition signed by at least 100 eligible electors requesting a specific locationA satellite station established by petition must be open at least one day for a minimum of six hoursKansasKSA §25-1119, 25-1122a, 25-112320 days before election OR Tuesday before election (varies by county)Noon, day before electionOffices of county election officersCounty election officers may designate satellite locationsNot specifiedLouisianaLRS 18:1303 and 130914 days before election7 days before electionRegistrars’ officesRegistrar may provide alternate location in the courthouse or a public building in the immediate vicinity thereofOne branch office of the registrar, as long as it is in a public building8:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through SaturdayHolidays excludedMaineTitle 21-A §753B(2) and 753-B(8)In-person absentee voting available as soon as absentee ballots are ready (30-45 days before election)Three business days before election, unless the voter has an acceptable excuse.Municipal clerks’ officesDuring regular business hours on days when clerks’ offices are openMarylandElection Law §10-301.1Second Thursday before a primary or general electionThursday before electionEstablished by State Board of Elections in collaboration with local boardsNumber required depends on county population and ranges from one to five per county8 a.m.-8 p.m. in a presidential election10 a.m.-8 p.m. each day in all other electionsMichiganConstitution Article II, Section 4 (as amended by Ballot Proposal 3 in 2018)In-person absentee voting during the 40 days before an electionDay before electionAt least one locationDuring regular business hours and for at least eight hours during the Saturday and/or Sunday immediately prior to the election.Local election officials have the authority to make in-person absentee voting available for additional times and places beyond what is required.MassachussetsM.G.L.A. 54 §25B(only available for state biennial elections)Eleven days before electionSecond business day before election (Friday before)City hall election office and town clerk’s officeAlternate or additional locations may be provided at the discrection of the city or town registrarRegular business hours. City or town clerks may provide additional hours (including weekends) at their discretion.MinnesotaM.S.A. §203B.081, 203B.08546 days before election (in-person absentee)5 p.m. the day before electionElections offices or any other location designated by county auditorMonday through Friday regular business hours.10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday before election; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on the day before Election Day.MontanaM.C.A. §13-13-20530 days before election (in-person absentee)Day before electionElections officesNot specifiedNebraskaN.R.S. §32-808, §32-938, 32-94230 days before each an election.Election DayCounty clerk or election commissioners’ officesNot specifiedNevadaN.R.S. §293.356 et seq.Third Saturday preceding electionFriday before electionPermanent places for early voting as designated by county clerkBranch polling places for early voting as designated by county clerkThere are special requirements for early voting sites on Native American reservations.Until Dec. 31, 2019: 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday of the first and second weeks. The Clerk may conduct early voting until 8 p.m. during the second week. At least four hours between 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on any Saturday that falls during the period. Sundays and holidays are excepted, but a clerk may include them as early voting days.Beginning Jan. 1, 2020: Monday through Friday for at least 8 hours a day, to be established by the clerk. Any Saturday that falls within the early voting period for at least 4 hours, to be established by the clerk. A clerk may choose to offer Sunday hours as well.New JerseyN.J.S.A.§19:63-645 days before election (in-person absentee)3 p.m. the day before electionOffice of the county clerkNot specifiedNew MexicoN.M.S.A. §1-6-5(G)Third Saturday before electionSaturday before electionClerks’ offices and:Class A counties with more than 200,000 registered voters: clerk must establish at least 12 alternate locationsClass A counties with 200,000 or fewer registered voters: clerk must establish at least 4 alternate locationsNon-class A counties with more than 10,000 registered voters: clerk must establish at least one alternate locationNon-class A counties with 10,000 or fewer registered voters: clerk’s office and alternate locations as designated by clerkHours are set by the clerk, and must begin no earlier than 7 a.m. and end no later than 9 p.m.Each alternate location must be open for at least eight consecutive hours on each day of early voting, and may be closed on Sundays and MondaysNew YorkElection Law Title VI, §8-60010th day before electionSecond day before an electionAt least one early voting location for every full increment of 50,000 registered voters in each county, but not more than seven are required. Counties with fewer than 50,000 registered voters shall have at least one early voting location. Counties and the city of New York may choose to establish more than the minimum required. Early voting sites shall be located so that voters have adequate and equitable access.Open for at least eight hours between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. each weekday during the early voting period.At least one early voting site shall be open until 8 p.m. on at least two weekdays in each calendar week during the early voting period.Open for at least five hours between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on each Saturday, Sunday and legal holiday during the early voting period.Boards of elections may establish a greater number of hours for voting during the early voting period beyond what is required.North CarolinaN.C.G.S.A. §163A-1300 to §163A-1304Third Wednesday before election7 p.m. on the last Friday before electionOffice of county board of electionsThe county board of elections may choose to offer additional locations, subject to approval by the state board of elections. All sites must be open during the same days and hours.Monday through Friday during regular business hours at the county board of elections. A county board may conduct early voting on weekends.If the county board of elections opens early voting sites on Saturdays or Sundays during the early voting period, then all sites shall be open for the same number of hours uniformly throughout the county on those days.There are exceptions for counties with islands that contain no bridges to the mainland.North DakotaNDCC §16.1-07-1515 days before electionDay before electionAt the discretion of county auditorThe county auditor chooses and publishes the hoursOhioNote: Uniform statewide schedule is set by the secretary of state: 2018 Voting Schedule here28 days before election (in-person absentee)2 p.m. Monday before electionMain office of board of electionsBoard may conduct voting at a branch office only under certain conditions8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with some extended evening hours in the week prior to the election8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday1-5 p.m. on the Sunday before Election DayOklahoma§26-14-115.4Thursday preceding an election (in-person absentee)2 p.m. on the Saturday before electionAt a location designated by the county election board. For counties of more than 25,000 registered voters or with an area of more than 1,500 sq. miles, more than one location may be designated8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday and Monday8 a.m.-2 p.m. on SaturdaySouth DakotaS.D.C.L. §12-19-2.145 days before election (in-person absentee)5 p.m. the day before the electionOffice of the person in charge of electionsRegular office hoursTennesseeTenn. Code §2-6-102(a)(1)20 days before electionFive days before election (seven days for a presidential preference primary)County election commission officeOffices must be open a minimum of three consecutive hours on weekdays and Saturdays between 8 a.m.-6 p.m. during the early voting periodOn at least three days, offices must be open between 4:30-7 p.m., and on at least one Saturday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.TexasTex. Elec. Code §85.001and 85.00217 days before electionFour days prior to electionIn a room in the offices of the county clerk, or elsewhere as determined by the clerkEach county has one main early voting centerDuring business hours on weekdays unless:Fewer than 1,000 voters, in which case three hours per day, orMore than 100,000 voters, in which case 12 hours per day during the last weekUtahUtah Code §20A-3-60114 days before electionFriday before election, though an election official may choose to extend the early voting period to the day before the electionIn government offices as determined by election officerAt least four days per week, and on the last day of the EV period.The election officer may elect to conduct early voting on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday.VermontTit. 17, §2531 thru 253745 days before election (in-person absentee)5 p.m. day before electionOffices of town clerksClerks may make “mobile polling stations” availableNot specifiedVirginiaVA Code Ann. § 24.2-701.1(Note: goes into effect in 2020)The second Saturday before the election for all registered voters (45 days before for those with a valid excuse)5 p.m. Saturday before electionOffice of the general registrar. Additional locations in public buildings may be provided at local discretion.Regular business hours.A minimum of eight hours between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the two Saturdays before the election.West VirginiaW.V. Code §3-3-3And SB 58113 days before electionThree days before electionCourthouse or the annex next to the courthouseCounty commission may designate additional areas, subject to requirements prescribed by the Secretary of StateMust be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays through EV periodWisconsinWis. Code §6.86(1)(b)14 days preceding the election (in-person absentee)Sunday preceding the electionClerks’ officesA municipality shall specify the hours.WyomingWyo. Stat. §22-9-105 and 12540 days before election (in-person absentee)Day before electionCounty clerks’ officesCourthouse or other public buildingMust be open regular hours on normal business daysAdditionally, three states have all-mail voting. Every eligible voter is sent a ballot that can be returned by mail, or dropped off at a voter center or similar location during the early voting period.States With All Mail VotingStateEarly Voting BeginsEarly Voting EndsLocationsHours and DaysColoradoC.R.S. §1-5-102Voter service and polling centers must be open 15 days before an election.Day of election.Determined by county election officials.Every day but Sunday during the early voting period. Normal business hours (but may be expanded by county board of commissioners).Oregon§254.470, Secretary of State RulesDropsites must open the Friday before an election, but may open as soon as ballots are available (18 days before).Day of election.Election offices or other staffed locations (libraries, city halls, etc.) or outdoor mailboxes (drive-by or walking traffic).Normal business hours.WashingtonRCW §29A.40.160Vote centers must be open 18 days before an election.8 p.m. on day of election.Election offices or other locations designated by the county auditor.Normal business hours.At least one U.S. territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands, has provisions for earlyState Laws Governing Early Voting8/2/2019This page contains information on statutory requirements relating to the start and end of in-person early voting (including states with all-mail elections) for the 39 states and the District of Columbia that offer this option. Two additional states, Virginia and Delaware, have enacted early voting but it will not be in place until 2020 and 2022, respectively. Nine states, Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, do not offer pre-Election Day in-person voting options.When statutes address locations, days and hours, we have included this information as well. Information provided here is generally for statewide general elections. Early voting periods for municipal or primary elections may be different.For further information on pre-Election Day voting, visit NCSL's Web page Absentee and Early Voting, or contact the Early Voting Information Center.The box allows you to conduct a full text search or type the state name.l 8 p.m. during the second week. At least four hours between 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on any Saturday that falls during the period. Sundays and holidays are excepted, but a clerk may include them as early voting days.Beginning Jan. 1, 2020: Monday through Friday for at least 8 hours a day, to be established by the clerk. Any Saturday that falls within the early voting period for at least 4 hours, to be established by the clerk. A clerk may choose to offer Sunday hours as well.