Take USPS out of voting

OPINION:

Josef Stalin is reputed to have said, “I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this — who will count the votes, and how.” I am concerned about the misuse of a vast number of absentee ballots distributed by the U.S. Postal Service during these past midterm elections.

On Nov. 8 I worked as an election poll worker in New Jersey. I was surprised at the number of voters who walked in and told me they were supposed to vote by mail but their absentee ballots were never delivered to their mailboxes. I directed them to another table, where provisional ballots could be obtained and filled out. I told them that if their completed ballots were actually received by the local government, their provisional ballots would be disregarded.

It seems quite possible that criminal elements could be buying or stealing these ballots and selling them to unscrupulous political agents. These agents could then sell filled-out ballots and mail them in. My concern only increased after speaking to poll workers at other locations, who said they also had a large number of requests for provisional ballots.

The integrity of elections is a foundation of democracy. Without it, trust in government and laws is severely damaged. The Postal Service should not distribute absentee ballots. Instead, we should have local police hand deliver them and require each recipient to sign for the delivery.

CHARLES WINFIELD

Princeton, New Jersey