Perhaps early voting is not that much of a problem in Texas, especially in a GOP primary, because I understand that the state electoral system is relatively clean compared to others. However, in general, every time you hear of "early voting," it's a good reminder for all folks interested in fair election procedure to work to repeal it wherever it exists.
Early voting plainly opens up more opportunities for cheating and fraud, especially in general elections where one major party has more of a propensity for such shenanigans than the other. (Secondarily, it costs state and local governments much more to keep the polls open for many days rather than one election day.) Maybe not in Texas so much, but surely many close elections have been stolen over the last two decades by cheaters taking advantage of many days to vote multiple times for themselves or others.
Early voting did not exist in the United States as we now know it until the Clintons got into their sinister electoral "reforms" mode in the 1990s. The country did without it for the bulk of its history, and there's no good reason why we need it now - anywhere in the country.
Absolutely correct! One would wonder if we are in the covered wagon era!
Grassroots conservatives turn out big in TEXAS, especially ON ELECTION DAY in a sea change election.
Who benefits from long, drawn out, early voting is the Democrat machine, given time to round up Houston, DFW, etc., low ‘fo voters. Period.
Trading “convenience” for benefiting your own political opposition and increasing the risk for corrupting your ballot is, well, stupid.
How many times have candidates been blown up only to leave all early voters at the station, with no recourse but loss of their vote, or the whole dang box of early ballots?
Recommending early voting always needs a caveat, a tutorial on the obvious political risk and shenanigans caused by extremely early voting, a practice that needs to stop.
“However, in general, every time you hear of “early voting,” it’s a good reminder for all folks interested in fair election procedure to work to repeal it wherever it exists.”
Early voting is not going away in Texas because if voting was only one day, many thousands would not get to vote as voting lines would be miles long.
Early voting is conducted exactly as election day voting. When a voter votes early, his name is stamped as voting on the election judge’s voter list right there at the poll. After early voting is over, those having voted are stamped on the county master voting list and that list is given to election judges on regular voting day. Any voter who shows up but has already voted as indicated on the voter list, will be turned away.
The cost I can’t address but I’ll give you an expample. Jefferson County Texas
has 11 early voting locations. They are open 11 days for early voting this election. In 2010 there were 145,201 registered voters. On the Normal election day there are 116 voting precincts.
Now it is possible that a few may be consodidated to the same voting location.
The Texas Legislature enacted early voting in 1987. 1988 was the first year of
in person absentee voting. In 1993 legislation mandated early voting statewide
in all 254 counties. Early voting has changed over time until it is just as if
you were voting on a normal election day, except as a rule the lines aren’t nearly as long.
To vote in person you must have a valid photo ID, be a registered voter, appear
and sign the register. From its inception the voters using early voting has grown
to were approximately 40% of the voters are early voters. I think you can say it’s
here to say for the foreseeable future.
JMO