Posted on 10/25/2004 9:21:05 AM PDT by sheikdetailfeather
POSTED: 9:07 pm EDT October 24, 2004 UPDATED: 10:54 am EDT October 25, 2004
ORLANDO, Fla. -- There's outrage in Central Florida over early voting, and things are so bad in Orange County that Elections Supervisor Bill Cowles said he may move the early voting sites.
The parking lot at the Alafaya Branch Library was so full that voters parked on the grass, and at least 100 people were lined up out the door to cast their vote, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported.
What usually inspires such a crowd? Flu shots? Concert tickets?
"What do you think about this? I think people are doing what's right. It's important," voter Debra Fulcher said.
No. These are Americans in line to vote on a Sunday afternoon in a country where only 51 percent of people bother to. It was downright inspirational.
"They say usually the turnout is so bad. I'm surprised they have so many people and everything," voter Dina Solanky said.
There were no problems at the Alafaya Branch Library. There were no problems, and library patrons had no problems with the voters.
"I think it's a good thing they're having the early elections. It's not inconvenience at all to me." library patron Dimitri Moss said.
Nor were there any Kerry or Bush supporters campaigning outside, but Cowles wrote Gov. Jeb Bush a letter saying there is a problem, especially with the eight library sites where people are voting. He said some employees at the libraries and some voters are being harrassed by campaign workers and even members of the media.
As a result, he says libraries are threatening to pull out of the voting business. One dilemma: apparently, Election Day rules don't apply during early voting.
For example: At a library Saturday where people were voting, Kerry workers set up shop right outside the door.
Here is part of the letter Cowles sent to Bush: "Our employees are as intimidated and harassed as the voters."
Bush sent a letter back to Cowles saying "voter intimidation is a crime [and] supervisors should remove people who are intimidating voters."
Copyright 2004 by WESH.COM. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
I have yet to see any valid legal reason for this "early voting" crap. The Congress has the power to declare when Presidential elections are. It shall be the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, PERIOD. No other time. How can this mess be legal at all??
Setting up a booth right outside the voting place????...that's against the law right there....the Rats should be fined for that....you cannot solicit any campaign literature within so many feet from the entrance of the voting location...however I can't remember how many feet.....
I voted Sunday at the parking lot of my grocery store where a temporary building was set up. No wait, no fuss. A demo was given of the electronic voting machine, a reminder to look for the propositions also on the board was given, there no one outside to harrass me (lucky for them). It was fabulous!
I asked about what kind of ID I had to show since my voting address and driver's license address were different. I only had to show my voter registration card. They did say that if one of the addresses was outside the polling area, I would have to swear and sign an affidavit.
No illegals are voting here in Texas.
What about the people passing out campaign literature outside the doors of polling places? This is traditional.
During normal voting times, you would be correct, however, this stipulation was somehow overlooked when they set up the early voting...I would guess the Dims had a hand in this being "overlooked".
It's for political purposes - to make it easier for the 'Rats to "vote early & vote often".
I believe the number of feet depends on the state.
Can say for a certainty the wife isn't going to stand for this at her site...
May I say.."You married a fine, fine woman!!!!"
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I don't see the problem with it. I'm a legal voter and don't mind swearing that I am. If you are an illegal and can be prosecuted for lying, seems okay to me.
Early voting works very well in Texas and makes it easier for someone to work voting into their schedule rather than having to make time on a workday.
If anything, I think it favors Republicans because we are more likely to have a job and need at least 9 hours on Tuesday in fulfilling our jobs (including travel time).
Just because Floridians are behind the curve and didn't forsee some of these problems doesn't mean the concept is bad. It just means they need more tweaking.
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