A vote-by-mail storm has been waxing and waning. I’m a proponent of voting by mail, myself. I served twenty years plus in the military. Stationed all over the world, I voted by mail throughout my career, no problem.

Retired, I settled in California for a decade. As a citizen of that state, I voted in person. Compared to how it was done by mail in the military, it was a pain in the ass.

In 2005, I moved to Oregon. All of Oregon’s voting is done through mail-in ballots. Here’s (roughly) how it goes.

1. When you get your driver licence, you’re registered to vote.
2. A few weeks before an election, you get a voter’s guide summarizing measures, proposals and candidates.
3. Closer to the election date, you receive your ballot. You fill it in at home following the instructions provided, seal it in the envelope, sign the envelope, and return it by midnight on election day. There are specific dates circled around this. We usually have the ballot in hand for ten days, plenty of time to review things and make decisions.
4. Vote by mail is only part of the equation. Towns have drop boxes for ballots established. Our town’s drop box is by the library’s returned books drop boxes in the downtown area. Drive through or walk up, and put it into the box. Done. The boxes are only opened for the two week period before the election.

That’s the essence. It’s beautifully simple. I recommend it for everyone and anyone.

That is all.