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i always vote absentee because i don't feel like going to the polls and i get more time to decide. there are some issues that receive no media attention, so i am able to make an informed decision after a bit of independent research.
to get the ballot, i needed to show my ID and fill out a form.
the system could be defrauded, though, as there is the option of someone else picking up your ballot. they would have to forge your signature to do this. to make any real impact, the crook would have to forge/collect many signatures. the election officials may get suspicious if one person picks up numerous ballots.
you can also have it mailed to you, which again requires your signature. then the crook needs an array of addresses for the ballots or it will again look suspicious.
so it's possible if you can someone forge/collect many signatures (of individuals who are certainly not voting on their own) and have a range of mailing addresses at your disposal. this seems pretty difficult to me, but maybe some evil genius has a better idea. then again, i have no idea how closely the election officials monitor irregularities.
i think early voting increases participation through convenience. so far i haven't heard about any absentee fraud, but it is something to keep in mind.
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