There are good reasons for doing these things and feasible ways of assuring their integrity.
What might be stressed to PEOPLE, however, is a plea that if one CAN cast one’s vote in person on Election Day, one SHOULD. The law requires that employers accommodate this. And when the POPULAR vote is counted, if the in-person results are such that the held-back early vote would be moot, those other votes aren’t added to the popular vote. This can have the effect of making mandates look less firm than they really are.
Yes, absentee ballots should be allowed but only if appropriate.