A debate between the validity of mail-in ballots and voter fraud has caused doubt among voters in the United States anticipating the upcoming 2020 election.

   Congress proposed the idea for use of mail-in ballots for the 2020 election to prevent large masses of people from gathering together as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic that occurred early this year. With the use of mail-in ballots, the idea is that less people will be at risk of exposure to the virus.

   As anticipation arises for the upcoming election in November, people are getting ready to cast their votes and many are unsure about the validity of mail-in ballots. Many politicians are arguing that this method of voting has the risk of being counted incorrectly or misplaced in the process.

   Even though states are allowing in person voting as well, people are still pushing to get rid of the use of mail-in ballots. People are unsure about the amount of trust they should put in the counting system of votes because votes are at risk of being “miscounted” or ballots could be “misplaced”, the possibility of a rigged election rises.

   The misplacement of ballots could also reduce the amount of trust the people have in the government and their vote counting process.

   Both the Republican and Democratic party are in conflict with each-other about the advantage mail-in ballots could give one party over the other because heavily populated states tend to be more Democratic, where lesser populated states are more commonly Republican. More populated states will have more drop boxes, making many people speculate the fairness of mail-in ballots.

Nori Gibbs, a long time voter, agreed that there is a possibility that mail-in ballots could be tampered with. However, with necessary tracking and with the circumstances pertaining to the Covid-19 virus, the use of mail-in ballots is an acceptable solution to make sure everyone has the chance to vote without putting themselves at risk.

   The risk of voter privacy being leaked has also caused a major discussion between the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. Countries such as Russia have been rumored to possibly be seeking to misuse the data of registered voters and possibly mess with candidate campaigns.

  The New York Times explained that strict security standards will be placed on drop boxes around cities to ensure as little risk as possible. With the use of security cameras and bolting drop boxes to the ground, officials are making sure voters can be confident in placing a mail-in ballot vote.

   As people await the election November 3, many are continuing to weigh their voting options. Even with the amount of security being placed on drop boxes and the option to vote in person, people are still arguing over the accuracy of mail-in ballots and the possibility of a “rigged” election that will still be argued no matter the outcome this year.