The concept of voting by mail is probably something you've heard quite a bit about recently. Most likely from the president, who keeps banging on about it on Twitter in big, shouty all-caps.
But does voting by mail actually lead to the "massive fraud" he's suggesting it does? Here to break it all down is John Oliver — whose monologue above suggests that while the system is flawed, it's still ultimately a crucial part of American democracy which results in "very rare" (think 0.002 percent) cases of illegal votes being cast.
"I am not saying that voting by mail is perfect," Oliver explains. "Mail ballots are rejected at a higher rate than those cast in person. And it doesn't work for all communities — some people with disabilities need to go to an in-person voting place for help casting ballots, and places like Native American reservations and remote Alaskan villages may have unreliable postal service.
"But, advocates argue vote by mail is still a good idea that would reduce obstacles to civic participation. But that, in and of itself, may be why it's become so controversial. Conservative opponents often speculate that any increased participation would benefit Democrats, despite the fact researches have consistently found that it hasn't obviously helped one party or the other."
Oliver concludes that voting by mail is not only a way of exercising your civic duty, but also a handy method of pissing off certain Fox hosts. Oh, and if you need a further incentive, he's also made stickers.
