Voting by mail has taken my heart by storm in 2021. Germany was about to decide the successor of Angela Merkel after 16 years of CDU. “Fridays for Future” was still very popular. The smell of change lay in the air for everyone to notice. However, it was clear that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic would still cause complications to this national election. At least for me, it was out of the question to show up in person at a polling location. Those should remain reserved for the old and vulnerable that didn’t know how to cast their vote in other ways. So for the first time in my life, I registered for voting by mail. During the few elections I had been allowed to take part in before I believe I thought it more cost-effective for society to throw off my ballot in person. This time, the circumstances just didn’t allow it, though. I don’t really remember the details of the registration process any more. But it must have been pleasant enough to completely turn me over as to this date I have never voted in person ever again. Nowadays, when I get the election notification, there’s already a QR code printed on the letter. Scanning it leads me to a page where I fill out a couple of input fields and 3 days later I have all the required documents to vote by mail.

In 2021 this led me to have been done with the election weeks in advance and causing me to actually be surprised when election day finally came. Since that date didn’t have any significance for me any more I felt free to plan a trip around that time. And so it happened that I was actually in Berlin on that particular Sunday. Me and my companions took part in the last Fridays for Future demo in Berlin. If memory still serves me right it was one of the biggest ones. On our way back to our accommodations we even met a famous politician of the Green party doing campaigning. I was completely star-struck which was slightly awkward. However, she was very nice and gave me pin wheel that I keep in one of my flower pots to this day.

On the Sunday itself we actually wanted to leave Berlin which proved to become quite difficult. Some geniuses hat planned the Berlin marathon to fall onto election day and most roads leading out of the city were closed. This was so troublesome, in fact, that in some locations voters were unable to vote because ballots couldn’t be brought in on time and some of the affected areas’ elections had to be repeated later. As a mail-voter, this of course affected me in no way whatsoever. It sometimes surprises me to learn that so many people still vote “the old way”. While the overall share of mailed ballots still rises (ignoring out the COVID outlier) with each election according to the German election administrator, it’s still almost two out of three voters voting at the station. I do see the appeal of getting to see the local elementary school from within and not having to trust the postal system. Maybe I also don’t want to miss out on all the dirt that gets dug up until the very last day of campaigning. But are these the only advantages? Because on the other hand I see

• having the clear conscience of already having performed my civil duties weeks in advance
• not having to be anywhere specific on that particular Sunday
• not having to wait in line
• having all the time in the world to fill out the ballot at home, rather than blocking a cabin
• if you die between sending in your ballot and election day, it still counts!

These arguments in my view more than make up for the downsides. Am I missing something?

This is a bit like the recurring discussion about nuclear energy. I just have no idea how anyone can still justify even throwing the idea of new nuclear power plants out there. Do I live in a bubble where all the cited draw-backs are just imaginary? If you have credible answers to any of these two points, please feel invited to reach out!