Research on voting by mail says it’s safe — from fraud and disease

As millions of Americans prepare to vote in November — and in many cases, primaries and state and local elections through the summer as well — lots of people are talking about voting by mail. It is a way to protect the integrity of the country's voting system and to limit potential exposure to the coronavirus, which continues to spread widely in the U.S.

I am a political scientist and part of a National Academy of Public Administration working group offering recommendations to ensure voter participation as well as public confidence in the election process and the outcome during this coronavirus pandemic. To meet that goal, our work has found that state and local governments will need to make significant adjustments to their voting systems this year — changes that will likely require new federal funding.