Kate Brown in Christian Science Monitor

On Government Reform: Oregon sees high turnout because of vote-by-mail

Oregonians passed a referendum in 1998 to institute the vote-by-mail system--with almost 70% approval. Secretary Brown rejects the criticism that mail-in ballots diminish the sense of civic engagement people may feel standing in line with their fellow citizens on Election Day. She says Oregonians have block parties and talk to their neighbors; issues are discussed in churches and synagogues. "Civic engagement is much more meaningful and expansive when you have a ballot in hand for 2-1/2 weeks," Brown says. "Election Day is not just one day--it's several."

On Government Reform: 15 million ballots via vote-by-mail with only 9 fraud cases

A criticism of mail-in ballots is that there is more opportunity for voter fraud. Since 2000, 15 million ballots have been cast by mail in Oregon, but there have been only nine convictions of voter fraud, Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown says. The state takes extensive measures to ensure that ballots are secure: each envelope has a unique barcode, election officials verify every signature, and there are cameras in every election office to monitor the counting. People can also check online to make sure their ballot was counted.