Drive-thru voting

Drive-Thru Voting describes the method of voting in an election whereby completed ballot papers submitted by placing them in a drop-box. Drive-thru voting is an alternative to having voters go in person to a polling station, vote electronically via an electronic voting system, and postal voting. Despite the title "Drive-Thru Voting", the act can be accomplished on foot, but is most commonly practiced from a vehicle.

The drive-thru method is supported for its convenience compared to traditional voting methods. It can also be used to offer expanded hours for voting as a box can be made available 24 hours a day. This method of voting is not heavily utilized yet but has been available in El Dorado County, California, for the 2008 election year where more than 500 voters used the drop boxes^[1], and in Calgary, Alberta, for the 2017 election.^[2]

Drawbacks

Concerns about voting in a box and postal voting have been raised. The system has less protection to ensure a secret ballot, in that people cast their vote outside the security of a polling station. In addition the boxes could be tampered with or vandalized, if left unmonitored.

Drive-Thru voting can be a way to prevent manipulation of an election through get out the vote efforts, for instance, in state conventions of a society, in which supporters of a cause or candidate bus in their supporters to vote and then bus them back.

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