Posted on 11/07/2006 8:52:13 PM PST by Rokke
nobody counts the absentee ballots
nobody counts the absentee ballots
'raindrops on roses....'
Generally up to a week after election day. Certified totals don't HAVE to include the absentee ballots if there are not enough outstanding ballots to turn the election.
Also expect the post office to "delay" delivery of absentee ballots until after the deadline. It has happened before (ballot have to be postmarked before election day but only have a short period in which they may arrive and be counted).
You are correct to say that absentee ballots have been expanded in many states (some states waved the restriction against being "unable" to get to the polls in early and election day voting).
In my county all absentee ballots which were in the elections office by today were counted today.
The others that were turned into polling places will be counted later.
That sort of thing makes me wonder why people vote by absentee unless they absolutely had to. Also it makes me wonder why the GOP hasn't gotten serious about securing military votes by any other means then absentee ballots.
somebody answered that "nobody" counts them... that may bit a bit facetious but... truer than you think. The Republican's got all excited over large absentee numbers when it's very easy not to count or make them disappear.
You can't be series?!
Never.
How do you make hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots "disappear"? The numbers of ballots already received has been published in many states. In Colorado alone there were almost 700,000 early votes and absentee ballots submitted. That equals 1/3 of the expected overall turnout. Numbers like that just don't "disappear".
**Also expect the post office to "delay" delivery of absentee ballots until after the deadline. It has happened before (ballot have to be postmarked before election day but only have a short period in which they may arrive and be counted).**
One of the reasons I hand-deliver my ballot to a voting box in Oregon. I don't trust the mail system and do not want to take the chance with identity theft in this state.
In Texas, the early votes are counted first and released at 7:00pm on election night.
Absentee ballots in my county in California have to be
received by mail by closing time of the polls, or can
be turned into any voting place or into the office of the
registrar by the time the polls close.
I have to vote absentee because there are fewer than 250
other people in my precinct, and it saves the county a
bunch of money to not have to staff a polling place for
us.
Absentee ballots are just the best. You can think about
stuff, and fill it out as you decide. I'm permanent absentee
now, just because it was so convenient.
In Maryland they start counting the absentees on Thursday.
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