Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill addresses the difference between absentee voting by mail as opposed to universal voting.
Merrill points out that regular absentee ballots must be requested by the voter and that voter must send along specific documentation to insure you are a registered valid voter. This documentation is verified by the sate before a single ballot is sent to the requested address.
This differs substantially from universal vote by mail, because in that circumstance, ballots are sent out to all addresses without request.
He goes on to point out the popularity for support of universal voting is almost exclusively seen in democratically controlled states.
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