Posted on 04/17/2020 8:22:04 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
America's decentralized system of voting means states enjoy broad leeway on setting election rules. Whether voters realize it or not, states' procedures vary widely on everything from registration deadlines, ID requirements and types of voting machinery to who is permitted to vote absentee and when mail-in ballots must be postmarked in order to be counted.
But in the coronavirus pandemic, a lack of federal election funding, partisan disunity and legal disputes could produce last-minute logistical confusion and drastic disparities across state lines in voters' ability to safely access a ballot.
Last week's election in Wisconsin ignited outrage from voting rights advocates, who claimed courts' refusal to grant last-minute requests to suspend in-person voting and extend the absentee ballot return deadline forced voters to choose between democracy and their health.
It was a wake-up call, and all states will have months rather than days to plan for worst-case November scenarios. But there's no guarantee politicians, election officials or judges will arrive at agreement on how best to adapt in time for an anticipated crush of voters if social distancing measures persist or must resume.
In the 2018 midterms, 25 percent of America's 120 million voters cast ballots by mail — a historic high, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission's official Voting Survey. But 56 percent of the electorate still voted the traditional way — in-person at polling places — and 58 percent of America's more than 600,000 poll workers were age 61 or older — a high-risk group for COVID-19.
Of course, the states best-equipped to weather a public health emergency are those that already have robust remote voting infrastructures.
Five states have now fully adopted all-mail elections: Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah and Hawaii.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
Or not
It will affect everyone equally. Young, old, black, white, Republican, Democrat.
People should go vote if they feel like it. Otherwise not. This isn’t even an interesting topic and nothing needs to be done about it.
“It depends”. Red states are screwed, blue states breeze by without a care.
Just nbc trying to stir up trouble.
Democrats: Coronavirus to be cured on November 4.
Every rat Governor is going to push Mail Voting. There are 24 of them and it would probably add up to 270 EC votes. They get Mail voting it’s over.
Risk of CV won’t stop me. I will put on my ‘gear’ and stand in line, come hell or high water.
It would be a shame if people in the major metropolitan cities were unable to come out and vote that day. It could be not only a landslide, but a rout.
70 million - Trump
2 million - Sleepy Joe
Jus’ dreamin’
If you want to vote by mail, vote absentee, it’s been done that way for years. These pukes like our Wisconsin Governor want to send ballots to everybody who has voted in the last 20 years and then send out vote harvesters. They have a list of 236,000, who haven’t voted in years and are no doubt dead or moved that the election dept wanted to delete, but oh no, an Obama judge outlawed it and now nEvers want to send ballots to all 236,000. Wheat could go wrong???
The Democrats are determined to sweep the elections for the House, Senate and White House via voter fraud and of they do, goodbye Republic.
Easy-peasy. This November in Demonicrat-controlled states, the Demonicrat governor will vote for each of his/her subjects (including those resting in cemeteries) so they don’t need to risk getting the ChiCom virus at the polling place.
Without ballot harvesting the rats will claim the election was rigged
We should vote by facebook poll or something.
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