Letter to the editor: Fix voting laws to restore confidence

The continuing problems created by our archaic voting laws must be fixed throughout our country so we can restore confidence in our elections.

Universal mail-in balloting with no requirement for signature verification, no time limits, legalized ballot harvesting, etc., must be fixed, and it can be. I am against any mail-in balloting system that does not require the voter to request a ballot. In Pennsylvania during the November 2020 election, mail-in ballots were accepted up to three days after the polls closed, and even without postmarks. Ballots postmarked after the deadline should not be counted. Are you aware that universal mail-in balloting (other than by request) is illegal in all European countries?

Here is a proposal to fix our system. First, require purging of all voter registration lists of all ineligible voters in all precincts and update them annually. Remove dead people, those who have moved and those with business addresses or fake addresses. Second, eliminate universal mail-in balloting, continue the absentee ballot system with a deadline for postmark. Third, eliminate ballot harvesting from non-viable people in nursing homes and hospitals. Fourth, make Election Day a national holiday so everyone can vote without losing pay. Fifth, make the closing of the polls the time limit for voting, no extensions.

Honest and fair elections are the basis of our faith in our institutions. Fix the voting laws and do it now so we can bring our country together again.

Bob Jacobs

Unity