It is a method that warrants consideration only where resources are plentiful and there is high concern about the integrity or reliability of mail voting or other alternative methods. Depending on the numbers of voters involved, it would generally be more practicable and less costly to implement during any period allowed for early voting, thus allowing a smaller number of mobile voting stations to operate on successive days, rather than attempting to cover all the homebound on the general voting day. Using the latter timing could require the engagement, training and equipping of excessive numbers of officials. Costs of mobile voting visits to homes can be lessened by using staff from normal voting stations during lulls in voting activity to visit homebound voters. If it is decided to implement such a system, prior registration for home voting by these voters should be mandatory and locations and timing of visits made public.
Some systems allow such visits merely by request on voting day.
This is not a good practice since it can disrupt voting station service and make it near impossible for party or candidate representatives or observers to monitor such voting. Proxy Voting Proxy voting is both the cheapest and simplest method to administer. However, there are questions as to whether proxy votes cast in the names of the infirm, and particularly the aged, truly reflect their wishes, and of the advisability of allowing proxy voting in any form. Voter Agents Legislative provisions could allow homebound voters to appoint someone as their agent to pick up voting material and documentation to authenticate the vote from a voting station or electoral management body office, bring this to the voter, with this voting and authentication material either returned in person by the agent or mailed to the electoral management body. This method can have some advantages over using a normal mail vote system, particularly in areas where mail services are not reliable.