Oregon Senator Wyden Says U.S. Could Learn from Oregon

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden thinks the rest of the country could learn from his home state.

"My home state of Oregon has led the nation in making voting more accessible," Wyden said. "No one has to take time off work just to exercise his or her constitutional rights.

“My proposition is the rest of our country should follow Oregon’s lead and offer all voters a chance to vote by mail.”

In 2000, Oregon became the first state to do vote by mail and since then has consistently had among the highest turnout rates in the country.

In the last two state-wide elections, 2010 and 2014, turnout was 70.9 percent and 69.5 percent, respectively.

In the 2012 presidential election, 82.8 of registered voters participated,

Wyden cites voting problems in New York and Rhode Island as examples of why vote-by-mail is needed.

"Across the country, there are stories of long lines, inexplicable purges of voter rolls and new requirements that make it harder for citizens to vote," Wyden said.

"There is no excuse for accepting this state of affairs."