An easy way to improve our elections: Allow absentee ballots to be processed the day before

kAm%96 {68:D=2EFC6 D9@F=5 2==@H =@42= 6=64E:@? H@C<6CD E@ AC@46DD 23D6?E66 32==@ED E96 52J 367@C6 2? 6=64E:@?] %92E H2J[ A:=6D @7 62C=J 32==@ED — 6:E96C >2:=65 :?[ 5C@AA65 @77 @C 7:==65 @FE :? A6CD@? 367@C6 t=64E:@? s2J — H@?’E 56=2J E96 C6DF=ED]k^Am

kAm{2E6 E2==:6D :? C646?E 6=64E:@?D 92G6 ?665=6DD=J 42FD65 5:DECFDE @7 (:D4@?D:?’D 6=64E:@? DJDE6>] %92E H2D 6DA64:2==J ECF6 =2DE 72==[ H96? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>25:D@?]4@>^HD;^@A:?:@?^65:E@C:2=^96C6D\H9@\C62==J\H@?\2?5\=@DE\:?\E9:D\6=64E:@?^2CE:4=60b2`a4b4h\5_`h\d2e_\2d7e\2gc756hhf7fb]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm>@C6 E92? 92=7 @7 (:D4@?D:? G@E6CDk^2m[ `]h >:==:@?[ 42DE 23D6?E66 32==@ED 5FC:?8 E96 A2?56>:4[ :? =2C86 A2CE E@ 2G@:5 42E49:?8 r~'xs\`h]k^Am

kAm#6>6>36C E96 “32==@E 5F>AD” :? E96 62C=J >@C?:?8 9@FCD @7 }@G] cn %92E H2D?’E 7C2F5 @C 2?JE9:?8 DFDA:4:@FD[ 2D E96?\!C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 2?5 @E96CD @? E96 =@D:?8 6?5 @7 E96 G@E6 72=D6=J 2==6865] xE H2D =@42= 4=6C<D 2?5 E96:C DE277D 5:=:86?E=J 2?5 AC@76DD:@?2==J 7:?:D9:?8 E96:C AC6=:>:?2CJ 4@F?ED] xE E@@< 2 =@E =@?86C E92? ?646DD2CJ 3642FD6 =@42= 6=64E:@? @77:4:2=D H6C6?’E 2==@H65 E@ AC@46DD E96 F?AC64656?E65 G@=F>6 @7 23D6?E66 32==@ED :? 25G2?46] (:D4@?D:? :D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?4D=]@C8^C6D62C49^6=64E:@?D\2?5\42>A2:8?D^G@AA\E23=6\`e\H96?\23D6?E66\>2:=\32==@E\AC@46DD:?8\2?5\4@F?E:?8\42?\368:?]2DAIQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm@?6 @7 @?=J 2 92?57F= @7 DE2E6Dk^2m E92E 7@C3:5D A@== H@C<6CD 7C@> 86EE:?8 2 9625 DE2CE]k^Am

kAm%96 AC6D:56?E:2= C6DF=ED :? (:D4@?D:? H6C6 288C6DD:G6=J 492==6?865 2?5 :CC6DA@?D:3=J 32D965 7@C H66<D[ H:E9 E96 =2E6 E2==J @7 23D6?E66 32==@ED k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A@=:E:724E]4@>^724E4964<D^a_a`^;2?^`d^56G:?\=6>29:6F^J6D\D=@H\23D6?E66\4@F?E\6IA=2:?D\DFAA@D65\32==@E\5Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm:? |:=H2F<66k^2m 2 3@8FD J6E AC:>6 E2C86E]k^Am

kAmp==@H:?8 4=6C<D E@ AC@46DD 62C=J 32==@ED E96 52J 367@C6 7FEFC6 6=64E:@?D H@F=5 8@ 2 =@?8 H2J E@H2C5 5:DA6==:?8 D:>:=2C 72=D69@@5D 2?5 5@F3E] p?5 E96 :562 92D DEC@?8 3:A2CE:D2? DFAA@CE]k^Am

kAm%@A s6>@4C2ED DF49 2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@4D]=68:D]H:D4@?D:?]8@G^>:D4^=73^3F586E^a_a`0ab03:6??:2=03F586E^d__0DF>>2CJ0@708@G6C?@C0D03F586E0C64@>>6?52E:@?D0>2C490a_a`03J0286?4J^6=64E:@?D04@>>:DD:@?]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmv@G] %@?J tG6CDk^2m 2?5 |:=H2F<66 |2J@C %@> q2CC6EE 72G@C E96 7:I] $@ 5@ AC@>:?6?E #6AF3=:42?D[ :?4=F5:?8 $6?2E6 |2;@C:EJ {6256C s6G:? {6|29:6F] tG6? @FC 4@?DA:C2E@C:2= &]$] $6?] #@? y@9?D@?[ #\~D9<@D9[ 2AA62CD @? 3@2C5]k^Am

kAm*6E E96 A2E9 E9C@F89 E96 {68:D=2EFC6 92D 366? D=@H 2?5 F?46CE2:?[ H:E9 2 3:== k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@4D]=68:D]H:D4@?D:?]8@G^a_`h^AC@A@D2=D^D3dfcQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm72:=:?8 E@ 364@>6 =2Hk^2m =2DE =68:D=2E:G6 D6DD:@?]k^Am

kAm%92E 42?’E 92AA6? 282:?]k^Am

kAmrC:E:4D H@CCJ E92E AC@46DD:?8 23D6?E66 32==@ED 2 52J 62C=J >:89E =625 E@ “H9:DA6C 42>A2:8?D” 23@FE H9@ :D 29625] %96J 762C E92E >:89E :?7=F6?46 G@E6CD]k^Am

kAmqFE E96 3:== 8F2C5D 282:?DE E92Ei t=64E:@? @77:4:2=D 4@F=5 @?=J AC@46DD E96 32==@ED 3J C6>@G:?8 E96> 7C@> 6?G6=@AD 2?5 7665:?8 E96> :?E@ >249:?6D] %96J H@F=5 ?@E 36 2==@H65 E@ E23F=2E6 H9@ H2D 29625 @C H@? F?E:= 27E6C E96 A@==D 4=@D6 @? t=64E:@? s2J] x? 724E[ “2?J@?6 H9@ 24ED :? 2 >2??6C E92E H@F=5 8:G6 E96> E96 23:=:EJ E@ <?@H @C AC@G:56 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE E96 G@E6 E@E2=D” 4@F=5 7246 2 4C:>:?2= A6?2=EJ]k^Am

kAm%96 AF3=:4 4@F=5 H2E49 E96 32==@ED 36:?8 AC@46DD65] p55:E:@?2==J[ “E2>A6C\6G:56?E D64FC:EJ D62=D :? 2 5@F3=6\=@4< =@42E:@?” H@F=5 AC@E64E >249:?6D 2?5 G@E6D] u665:?8 32==@ED :?E@ >249:?6D 2 52J 62C=J H@F=5 36 @AE:@?2= 7@C =@42= >F?:4:A2=:E:6D[ 2?5 E96 t=64E:@?D r@>>:DD:@? H@F=5 92G6 E@ 2AAC@G6 2?J C6BF6DE E@ 5@ D@]k^Am

kAm%96 8@G6C?@C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@4D]=68:D]H:D4@?D:?]8@G^>:D4^=73^3F586E^a_a`0ab03:6??:2=03F586E^d__0DF>>2CJ0@708@G6C?@C0D03F586E0C64@>>6?52E:@?D0>2C490a_a`03J0286?4J^6=64E:@?D04@>>:DD:@?]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm:?4=F565 E96 >62DFC6 :? 9:D 3F586Ek^2m[ 3FE ?@?\7:D42= A@=:4J 5@6D?’E 36=@?8 :? E96 DE2E6’D DA6?5:?8 A=2?] $@ 25G2?4:?8 :E @? :ED >6C:ED E9C@F89 E96 {68:D=2EFC6 :D 2 36EE6C A2E9]k^Am

kAm$6?] #@3 $E27D9@=E[ #\}6H #:49>@?5[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>25:D@?]4@>^HD;^?6HD^=@42=^8@GE\2?5\A@=:E:4D^C6AF3=:42?D\AC@A@D6\>@G:?8\52E6\@7\AC6D:56?E:2=\AC:>2CJ\@E96C\492?86D^2CE:4=60ca5e_752\`fh3\d734\3f_5\2`_cb33_e434]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm92D :?4=F565 E96 AC@A@D2=k^2m :? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@4D]=68:D]H:D4@?D:?]8@G^a_a`^AC@A@D2=D^D3a`cQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm$6?2E6 q:== a`ck^2m H:E9 D@>6 C6=2E65 AC@G:D:@?D] p AF3=:4 962C:?8 :D 6IA64E65 D@@?[ H9:49 :D 6?4@FC28:?8] qFE :7 $q a`c 3@8D 5@H?[ E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E A2CE @7 E96 3:== — 62C=J AC@46DD:?8 @7 32==@ED — D9@F=5 36 DA=:E @FE 2?5 DE2?5 @? :ED @H? E@ 96=A 6?DFC6 A2DD286]k^Am

kAm(:D4@?D:?’D 6=64E:@? DJDE6> 92D H:E9DE@@5 F?AC64656?E65 D4CFE:?J @G6C E96 =2DE J62C[ J6E AF3=:4 ECFDE 92D 6C@565] t=:>:?2E:?8 E9:D 6IEC2 E2D< 7@C =@42= 4=6C<D — @? E@A @7 6G6CJE9:?8 6=D6 E96J 5@ @? t=64E:@? s2J — :D 2 D:>A=6 J6E D:8?:7:42?E H2J E@ D>@@E9 2?5 :>AC@G6 @FC 56>@4C24J]k^Am

k2D:56 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\C6=4@?E6?E E?4>D\:?=:?6\C6=4@?E6?E\:?7@ E?4>D\:?=:?6\2=:8?>6?E\46?E6C E?4>D\:?=:?6\H:5E9\7F==Qmk9cm(:D4@?D:? $E2E6 y@FC?2= 65:E@C:2= 3@2C5k^9cmkAm%96 G:6HD 6IAC6DD65 :? E96 65:E@C:2=D 2C6 D92A65 3J E96 3@2C5[ :?56A6?56?E @7 ?6HD 4@G6C286 564:D:@?D 6=D6H96C6 :? E96 ?6HDA2A6C]k^Am kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>25:D@?]4@>^HD;^?6HD^=@42=^49C:D\H9:E6\E2AA65\E@\=625\H:D4@?D:?\DE2E6\;@FC?2=\=66\6I64FE:G6\E@\36\`eE9\AF3=:D96C\:?^2CE:4=603a7hh76f\b_ed\d6e2\g52b\_`4he3bbgah7]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmrw#x$%~!wt# %] (wx%tk^2m[ !C6D:56?E 2?5 AF3=:D96Ck^Am kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>25:D@?]4@>^HD;^?6HD^=@42=^;2D@?\25C:2?D\?2>65\?6H\6I64FE:G6\65:E@C\@7\H:D4@?D:?\DE2E6\;@FC?2=^2CE:4=60`5geh77d\f46_\d2ga\3ga3\d4d`67d7fgcf]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmyp$~} ps#xp}$k^2m[ t5:E@Ck^Am kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>25:D@?]4@>^FD6CD^AC@7:=6^D4@EETa_>:=7C65^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm$r~%% |x{u#tsk^2m[ t5:E@C:2= A286 65:E@Ck^Am kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>25:D@?]4@>^FD6CD^AC@7:=6^A9:=Ta_92?5D^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm!wx{ wp}s$k^2m[ t5:E@C:2= 42CE@@?:DEk^Amk^2D:56m