A new paper by Daniel McCool and Weston McCool in American Indian Culture and Research Journal. From the conclusion:

If the trend toward using the mail to deliver ballots rather than voting in person continues, the issue of ballot collection will grow in importance, especially for Native voters who face greater challenges in travel and have lower levels of income and education. In some rural counties, in-person voting locations have been closed, forcing voters to rely on vote-by-mail. For these voters, ballot collection can significantly reduce their cost of voting and provide a direct voter benefit. If the US Postal Service continues to experience delays and uncertainty in the delivery of ballots, these conditions will be exacerbated.

The data presented in this article indicate that there is no relationship between the practice of ballot collection and rates of voter fraud, but there are significant advantages for Native voters who choose to use ballot collection. In the most recent case, the Montana Supreme Court summarized the reasons why ballot collection is a voter benefit on Indian reservations: “Native Americans disproportionately rely on ballot collection to vote, in part due to a history of discrimination around voting . . . and unique circumstances in Indian country that make it much more difficult to access polling places or post offices.” All public policies have both benefits and costs; in the case of ballot collection, the reduction in access costs renders a significant benefit to voters, but the costs to society of allowing ballot collection are negligible