Drive-Thru Voting

What should everyone do, but not enough people really do? Vote. Therefore, the concept of drive-thru voting almost seems too logical, allowing many people to vote quickly and easily. The idea has been discussed for many years, and some of its proponents even insisted in 2008 that it ought to be implemented nationwide. Drive-thru voting is the term used to describe the process of casting a ballot in an election by dropping your completed ballot in a drop box. Driving to a polling place in person, using an electronic voting system, or casting a ballot by mail are all alternatives to drive-thru voting. The most recent voting law in Texas forbade this method of voting.

The drive-thru technique is encouraged since it is more practical than other voting options. It can also be used to extend voting hours since a box can be made available around-the-clock. In El Dorado County, California, for the 2008 election year, where more than 500 voters used the drop boxes, and in Calgary, Alberta, for the 2017 election, this method of voting was available but has not yet been widely used.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the idea was tested in cities like Calgary and on a smaller scale in Connecticut. Of all places, Texas had 24-hour drive-through voting for a brief period of time, and other localities are now debating the notion. Drive-thru voting has received a variety of criticisms, from the possibility that a passenger could coerce someone to bumper stickers in line influencing the vote. The concept hasn't yet been used widely on a large scale.