States With Expanded Mail-In Voting Amid Pandemic See Highest Levels of Voter Turnout in Years

In the midst of a global pandemic, states are making efforts to ensure that Americans can safely exercise their right to vote.

As the coronavirus spread throughout the country, many states moved to expand access to mail-in ballots to allow people to vote without risking exposure to the virus at polling stations.

An analysis of election returns from states that had elections on Tuesday, conducted by The Hill, found that the number of ballots cast increased substantially compared to 2016.

Before the virus began spreading, 27 states allowed “no-excuse” absentee voting, while California and Montana had already expanded mail-in voting.

After the virus began spreading in the country, 12 states took steps to loosen requirements to get mail-in ballots.

According to The Hill, Iowa’s turnout was 24% this year compared to 15% in the 2016 primaries. Additionally, the state saw a 1,000% increase in the number of mail-in ballots that were cast compared to 2016.

And in Montana, which had an all mail-in primary, turnout was around 55% up from 45% in 2016 — which set a new turnout for the state.

In South Dakota, turnout was at 28%, up from 22% in 2016, and 89,000 of the 154,000 ballots cast were absentee ballots.

In New Mexico, which held a primary on June 2, voter turnout was around 40%, up from 34% in 2016. And 270,000 of the 400,000 ballots were cast by mail.

State officials in Republican and Democratic-controlled states have moved to expand mail-in voting to allow Americans to vote without having to venture out in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested that mail-in balloting would lead to voter fraud and be a severe disadvantage for Republicans, as IJR reported.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany later sought to clarify Trump’s stance on mail-in voting. She said the president believes Americans should be able to vote by mail when they have a reason — such as being out of state for work.

However, she said, “He’s for absentee voters for a reason. What he’s not for is mass, mail-in voting, what Nancy Pelosi is asking for, which we know is subject to fraud.”

In May, he threatened to withhold funding from states that expand mail-in voting. He said in a tweet, “I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!

Despite Trump’s claim that mail-in ballots increase fraud, studies have found that historically there has not been widespread fraud associated with absentee voting.