You will have to explain to me why absentee ballots are okay, and early voting is not.
In Texas, an absentee ballot needs to be mailed to an address not where you are registered. It also allows you to by-pass the Picture ID that early voting now requires.
http://votetexas.gov/faq/early-voting
Q: Can anybody vote early by mail (also referred to as “absentee voting”)?
A: Only specific reasons entitle a registered voter to vote early by mail (no longer called absentee voting). You may request a ballot by mail if you:
- will be away from your county on Election Day and during early voting;
- are sick or disabled;
- are 65 years of age or older on Election Day; or
- are confined in jail.
“Early Voting”, as currently practiced, is open to anyone for any reason or no reason at all. It was pushed as a way of getting to the polls the people who couldn’t be bothered to vote otherwise, using the same rationale as ‘motor-voter’ which I also oppose.
Traditional absentee balloting, as you reference in Texas, is restricted to those who are physically UNABLE to get to the polls on Election Day for specific reasons. It is for those who are UNABLE, rather than UNWILLING, to vote in-person on Election Day.
If you don’t see a difference, there, I can’t help you any further.