NBC News explains the effects of voting by mail

Like I do on other issues, I alternate between serious and silly posts on voting by mail. Since the last post of mine to focus on the topic was 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' explains voting by mail, it's time for a serious take. NBC News gets the honor by asking Mail-In Voting: How Secure Is It?

Adoption of mail-in ballots has been growing across the country as the COVID-19 threat hangs on. However, some officials, including President Trump, think this is a slippery slope that can lead to voter fraud. NBC News’ Pete Williams reports with an inside look at the process.

Pete Williams covered the same points I summarized in CNN and WUSA9 ask why Trump is against voting by mail, the last serious entry I wrote on the issue.

As Cilizza says, voter fraud by impersonation is so rare that it's almost non-existent, which means it is not at all effective. The safety of the electorate during the COVID-19 pandemic far outweighs that miniscule risk.

In addition, voting by mail does not generally favor one party over another, although I wouldn't be surprised if it might help Democrats a bit in this particular election. I agree with another point Williams made, as I fully expect that results may not be known for a week after November 3, 2020 because of all the absentee and other mail votes being counted. That's already happened with primary elections. For example, I didn't find out all of the winners in last week's New York and Kentucky primaries until earlier this week, when MSNBC reported Amy McGrath Wins Kentucky Senate Democratic Primary, NBC News Projects.

Amy McGrath wins Kentucky’s U.S. Senate Democratic primary against state Rep. Charles Booker in a narrow race to face Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in November, NBC’s Steve Kornacki reports.

As Steve Kornacki told Andrea Mitchell and her viewers, this is what elections will look like this year. Welcome to politics in a time of plague.