Laws with good intentions leading to unintended bad consequences is American politics 101. There are lots of cases, but the one I want to single out today also serves as an example of the disconcerting trend in which politicians seek first to divide, rather than unite.

Every state writes its own voting laws, and this is one of those areas where the rules and practices are so dissimilar that there are genuine night-and-day differences.

There are some states where almost everybody votes in person at a polling place (Arkansas is a national leader by percentage in this category). There are other states where almost everybody votes by mail.

In today's hyperpartisan, uber-polarity climate, the instinct for many is to immediately apply red or blue lenses to such distinctions. Ironically, there was generally bipartisan support in states where mail voting was first proposed and implemented decades ago--long before covid and Trump-era contention.

That's mainly because the early arguments (in the late 1990s and early 2000s) of vote-by-mail proponents were based primarily on practicality. Specifically, advocates argued that it would be more convenient, reduce costs by eliminating polling places, and potentially increase turnout.

The good intention: Increase voter information and participation. The flawed assumption: Making something easier automatically makes it better. The........

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