As states determine if and how they’ll change their election procedures because of COVID-19, many are focusing on voting by mail, but the practice has also come under fire. Still, over half (64%) of Americans favor voting by mail or absentee ballots this year, while 34% oppose, according to Gallup News. This holds across partisan lines. Almost half of Republicans (40%), 68% of Independents, and 83% of Democrats favor voting by mail or absentee ballots.
Despite support for voting by mail, Americans are also concerned about increased voter fraud. Forty-nine percent believe there will be more fraud with voting by mail; 29% believe there will be the same amount; and 20% believe there will be less fraud. More Republicans (76%) and Independents (48%) believe there will be more fraud due to voting by mail. Only 27% of Democrats think the same.
More Americans will vote by absentee ballot or mail ballot this election than in past elections. GOTV will look different in 2020 and a larger number of voters will cast their vote long before Election Day than ever before. While there will continue to be controversy about this type of voting, campaigns must allot increased resources to identifying, targeting, and chasing down the voters who are most likely to submit a mail-in ballot.
