Idaho Passes Bill Preventing 'Ballot Harvesting'

The Idaho House has passed a bill that would prohibit one kind of ballot harvesting. The bill would make it a crime for someone to bring another person’s mail-in ballot to the post office unless they are a household member. Delivering 10 or more ballots to the post office for others would be considered a felony, and delivering fewer than 10 would be a misdemeanor.

Associated Press:

The bill “tries to make it clear that we don’t like cheaters,” [Republican Rep. Mike Moyle] told his fellow lawmakers on the House floor.

“In Idaho voting should be easy, but in Idaho cheating should be hard,” he said.

But opponents said the bill would criminalize good deeds and potentially violate the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by preventing disabled and homebound residents from getting help to vote from personal aides or health care workers.

Unfortunately, there are other forms of “ballot harvesting” that are far more insidious, like when a political party pays someone to collect mail-in or absentee ballots and bring them to a post office. The opportunities for mischief-making are legion, and yet, most Democratic states allow it.

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But penalizing the disabled or elderly because they aren’t able to drive to the post office should not be in the statute.

Rep. Ilana Rubel, also a Boise Democrat, said she’s had housebound constituents ask her to deliver their ballots, and she’s always been happy to do so.

“I’m bragging — I think it’s a great thing to do, it’s a good service,” she said. “I really think we shouldn’t be making good deeds into crimes.”

But Moyle said a single ballot can make a difference in an election, and so the Legislature should work to make the process more secure by limiting who can convey ballots.

“If you really think about what we’re trying to accomplish here, it’s common sense,” he said.

Making elections 100% tamper-proof cannot physically be done. But preventing ballot harvesting by people who have plans to skew the election can be done, without making it harder for little old ladies to vote.