Posted on 09/21/2016 8:52:41 AM PDT by yoe
The neighbors gathered in Hurricane Sandy’s drizzly aftermath, surveying the damage: tree limbs crushing the roof of a car, telephone poles snapped in half, power lines strewn across the street. It was, for all the unpleasant circumstances, a nice communal moment.
It made me think, oddly enough, about what it is that bothers me about early voting.
More precisely, it reminded me about what I like about Election Day — the neighborly lines at the local elementary school, the sense of common purpose, the we’re-all-in-this-together ritual of the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. I like wearing my corny “I voted” sticker on Election Day. I like seeing yours.
Early voting is the civic manifestation of the modern age: fragmented, individualistic and solitary. Once we all saw the same television show at the same time; now, we watch “Modern Family” whenever it is most convenient. We withdraw our cash from a machine when we need it, rather than racing to the bank before it closes. We scan our groceries as we shop and check out on our own.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
here, in Iowa City, my vote never counts anyway...
Imo, the early voting scheme was and is never intended as anything other than an easily exploitable method of voter fraud.
Democracy, ultimately, is mob rule and an invitation to tyranny.
Early voting, instant registration, no ID voting, absentee voting - all just help bring the dangers even closer.
Well at least early voting keeps Illary ensconced at the Dem nominee. If the Dems changed horses at this stage they would face the logistical ballot change problems but also, many Dems would have wasted their vote on a person out of the race.
Its always been suspect to me also. I have heard early votes are not even counted unless it is necessary. Can anyone confirm or refute that?
+100
In Texas, the early voting numbers are posted shortly after the polls close.
I have better things to do than stand in line. I even go over to the Mexican side of town to early vote after having had to stand in line 15 minutes to early vote on the Republican side of town. And several of the early voting locations are a lot more convenient than my designated voting place which is the required location on election day.
The problem with early voting that I have observed is that many times the "shine has worn off" a candidate as the campaign season progresses. Many voters get "buyer's remorse".
A classic example is the hildabeast. Many early voters are marking by rote. It is very apparent that her health is rapidly becoming an issue. Early voters lose the option of a write-in or, if the ballot nominee changes, a chance to vote for the newly selected candidate.
Sounds simple if you are voting for Trump but the neverending lawsuits that would be filed on behalf of "disenfranchised" early voters could delay election result certification for months.
Before you say it is not possible, consider how the courts have eagerly injected themselves into recent elections and how many findings are appealed all the way to the top of the state and federal courts.
I can refute that - I am a Board Member of a county Board Of Elections in Ohio. We count the votes. :)
In Ohio, absentee ballots are segregated until the polls close at 7:30pm. They are then sorted and tabulated. Early in-peson votes are counted in the same manner. Typically, we complete this process before the first of our precinct boxes are returned, so the early votes are counted first. Then the votes cast at precincts (except for provisional ballots) are tabulated, and then the provisional ballots are counted. We count every ballot that can legally be couned.
In 2012, 53% of all ballots cast in Ohio were voted absentee or early, and that percentage will likely increase this year. As our Secretary of State says, we "make it easy to vote and hard to cheat".
Great info thank you. I assume the process varies by state. I am in Fl. so it’s probably thunderdome down here. lol
I’m trying to think of a “pro”.
Blanking.
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