Some states are conducting their balloting entirely by mail-in ballots, while Louisiana uses that system only for absentee voting for eligible voters — such as military personnel living out of state and the elderly over 65 years of age, and other reasons.

Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin has expanded absentee balloting by providing a COVID-19 ballot form for the July 11 election in certain situations.

The persons eligible for the virus absentee ballot are persons at severe risk related to the illness, being under an isolation order, displaying symptoms, or caring for someone who is susceptible.

Some people, however, are uncomfortable with mail-in balloting due to such concerns as the ballot getting lost in the mail, tampering with the mail and an increase in vote fraud.

The National Conference of State Legislatures is a nonpartisan entity that gives the pros and cons of all-mail elections.

According to the NCSL, supporters of all-mail elections allow persons to cast a mail-in vote from the comfort of their home and helps people avoid wait times at polling places. Other pro factors cited by supporters are that it reduces the cost of elections, offers flexibility and reduces the needs of infrastructure and personnel to conduct the election.

Those opposed to mail-in voting say the method weakens the traditional civic experience of voting in local polling places, cost savings are nullified by the expenses to print and mail ballots to each registered voter, and while it slightly increases balloting in special elections, mail-in voting doesn’t encourage voter participation in the larger general elections.

Then there are concerns mail-in ballots do not provide the level of security that assures the voter his or her ballot will be counted. Ballots have gotten lost in the mail or misplaced at any stage of the vote-by-mail process. It has also been contended the all-mail process increases the possibility of the voter being coerced in selecting candidates (vote fraud).

There was also a recent case of a rural mail carrier being charged with tampering with ballot requests in West Virginia, which is a serious federal offense.

While Louisiana has a very expansive absentee voting process, there is still considerable opposition to relying on all mail-in elections.Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin has expanded absentee balloting by providing a COVID-19 ballot form for the July 11 election in certain situations.

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