State should review voting process

To the editor:

In the 1990s, Washington state and Oregon started an experiment that has become so successful that Colorado has joined them in its adoption: their elections are entirely held by mail.

All registered voters are mailed ballots, which can be returned to drop boxes or mailed back postage paid. It has contributed to Washington and Oregon having among the highest rates of voter participation in the country, especially in off-years and special elections which typically have low turnout, while reducing election costs. Their systems have proved themselves to be secure and robust over the last two decades and their ballots also leave a paper trail that can be checked and rechecked for accuracy - no worries about faulty machine counting there.

With the increasing popularity of early and absentee voting, both of which are built into the all-vote-by-mail system, Iowa should consider adopting this system as well. It would extend the benefits to all voters by design and in doing so increase participation in this most basic civic activity in an age of decreasing interest and turnout.

Amy Collette

Cedar Rapids