Local political parties debate which voting process is best

[bc_video video_id="6181324135001″ account_id="5728959025001″ player_id="Hkbio1usDM" embed="in-page" padding_top="56%" autoplay="" min_width="0px" max_width="640px" width="100%" height="100%"] The process of voting remains divided down party lines. President Trump has pushed for in-person voting, citing international interference and fraud as his main concerns. The President is also in the process of negotiating funding for the United Postal Service, who would be responsible for transporting mail-in ballots. Recently, the California Attorney General tweeted saying, "Undermining the Postal Service threatens to undermine free and fair elections." The debate over how to vote has also reached the Coachella Valley. "In-person voting is the best way," said Mike Cericola, a volunteer at the Republican headquarters in La Quinta, "For mail-in voting, you get the ballots and anyone can sign the back, and it also increases them by submitting people who’ve already passed away and everything." But, members of the Democratic Headquarters of the Desert say mail-in voting is a secure and safe option during the pandemic. "There will be location for what’s called ‘lock boxes.’ People will be able to drop off their ballots if they’re uncomfortable. They’ll be picked up everyday and taken to the registrar of the county," said Elle Kurpiewski, the director. Representatives of the nonpartisan group Common Cause say mail ballot voter fraud has been minimal since the early 2000s. "A national investigation of vote by mail from 2000 to 2012 found 491 cases of mail vote fraud, which might sound like a lot until you realize that over that time period billions of votes were cast by mail successfully," said Jonathan Meta Stein with Common Cause. But, the group also says in-person voting should be available for those who rely on it. "There’s some communities like the Latino community that votes in person at dramatically higher rates than other communities, so we want to offer accessible and safe voting locations to the folks who want it or the folks who need it. But we also want to make sure every single voter can access a vote by mail vote if they want one," said Meta Stein.