The case against early voting

Should we allow so many people to vote before Election Day? There have certainly always been some exceptions for absentee ballots when people knew they would be out of town, facing a medical procedure or similar circumstances. However, one should ask whether making early voting available to everyone makes sense.

It’s easy to see the appeal of early voting because it has certain benefits. Americans in the 21st century lead busy lives. Week after week we have demanding jobs, children’s activities, home maintenance, community groups, religious services, and other responsibilities. Early voting gives those who forgot to vote or simply ran out of time more opportunities to vote.

Early voting allows political parties and campaigns to harvest the votes of decisive voters, thereby freeing up efforts to get out of the vote and focus on voters sitting on the electoral fence. This option also increases the chance of attracting voters with a low propensity to vote to the polls.

Thus, in 2020, voter turnout was almost 67%. It’s good that more people take part in electing our representatives.

In conclusion, we should not deny the disadvantages of early voting. First, widespread early voting could prevent these voters from casting a fully decisive vote. Of course, many people who start learning earlier are confident in their decision. Many would not change their vote on any realistic news that comes in late October.

However, some people might change their minds if they were given a few more weeks. This issue is especially true for down-ballot races and initiatives that are often overlooked or paid little attention to by voters focused on the presidential race. More time may mean more informed voters.

Another reason we should avoid early voting is that we believe in accurate and fair vote counts. Some believe the 2020 election, with unprecedented early voting and mail-in voting, was stolen. You don’t have to agree with these statements to see possible problems: the longer the time between votes being cast and being counted, the longer it takes to find a reason to accuse the process of being rigged. This issue isn’t as concerning when these voices make up a small portion of the total cast. When they now make up a huge portion, or even a majority, the stakes get much higher.

Another reason points to civic education. Designating a specific election day is not only a tradition. The voting days were a time of increased reflection and action regarding our citizenship. Yes, we are quite busy with our lives. However, we, the citizens of the United States, would need a day when we all do the same, vote, and all consider the importance of this action as a collective political community.

In fact, we should return the days of voting to the days of celebration and vigorous effort that once were in America. In fact, we should make Election Day a holiday. We should have parades like our ancestors did. We should have speeches and receptions (outside of small groups attending election night for various candidates). These moments can teach us and our children to better appreciate our role as the ultimate human rulers of our country, exercising our power in one of the most important ways.

Massive early voting probably won’t happen anytime soon, which is a shame. What we gain by doing so could hopefully provide a different approach, and what we lose risks undermining a great opportunity to strengthen our democratic values.

Vote this election cycle. However, if possible, do it on Election Day. Talk to your neighbors about it and take your children with you. Use this time to strengthen our understanding of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

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Adam Carrington is an associate professor at Ashland University.