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Vote by Mail, Is It Secure?

One county shares what they are doing to secure elections.

We are less than six months out from the November elections and there is a lot of talk these days about voting by mail. "Some" would say it is not safe and open to fraud. In my opinion, based on what I know from looking at the issue — it is very safe. It is the best way to eliminate cybersecurity concerns and yes, the signatures are actually checked — at least in the example I'll share below.

One of my Disaster Zone TV shows I did was on Elections Security and my guest was the director of elections for a county. I think you will find the interview informative and enlightening. Washington state is an entirely vote-by-mail state. I kind of miss going to the polling place, but then there is the new tradition of my wife and I sitting down at the kitchen table and going over our ballots and the voters' pamphlet together. We are certainly making better-informed voting choices now that we vote by mail.

And, in Washington state, there is now no postage due from the voter. So there is no excuse for not voting. Nothing could be better for increasing the number of citizens exercising their right to vote — unless that is something you are afraid of happening!

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.