Early Voting, Question On Fairness

[runco]

When early voting came out several years ago, I thought it was a great idea and thought finally the government is getting smarter by allowing a greater amount of time for the people to get out and go vote, who may not be able to vote on election day even though we have absentee voting.  Many more people voting means a better cross section of what the people want, isn't this what democracy is all about.  Given time to think and seeds of doubt from talk radio, I am not so sure I like early voting based upon fairness.  So I ask this question:

 

Do you think early voting serves both parties equally?

 

I have listened on conservative radio (Savage nation, Mark Levin, etc.) about how this extra time afforded in early voting allows many non-profit organizations to pop up and work hard to get people to the polls by providing transportation services for the ones that can't make it on their own, and to register people to vote.  Even people in nursing homes, shut-ins, or people who just don't have transportation are provided help.  Even people who normally don't vote, are recruited to vote by the extra time allotted in early voting. 

 

All of this tickles ones ear as sounding great, but really is it?  Sounds great, but talk radio suggested these services are for targeted areas that traditionally vote a certain way, and these services are not provided equally to all parts of society, and honestly I am not sure you can.  

 

So where does one find traditional republican voters that cannot make it to polls election day vs. where does one find traditional democratic voters that cannot make it to the polls on election day.  You catch my drift?

 

So the more I think about it, please help me by pulling me back to center, is early voting really fair to all political parties equally?  

 

 

For the ones that like early voting like me for convenience sake, who can otherwise easily vote on election day itself, the above is not targeted to you.  Reason this principal would apply equally to both republican and democrats voters. 

 

 

[jgradyc]

Voting is already messed up enough with long waiting lines. It's amazing to me that anyone waits until voting day to vote. If you haven't made up your mind a month before the election, you're probably too dumb to vote.

[gregintenn]

Voting is already messed up enough with long waiting lines. It's amazing to me that anyone waits until voting day to vote. If you haven't made up your mind a month before the election, you're probably too dumb to vote.

I'm probably too dumb to vote, but have seen elections where candidates have been convicted, died, etc. between early voting times and the regular election. I prefer to vote on election day.

 

I usually vote about lunch time, and my polling place has never been at all crowded.

Edited January 17, 2016 by gregintenn

[Mike.357]

if republicans had candidates that people could get behind then they would get elected.  The GOP is not losing because early voting is more convenient.   And actually the white house is the place the republicans are losing, I think they have done well in the legislature getting elected.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Mike.357

[Sam1]

personal opinion, I think early voting should be killed, with an exception for medical situations and deployed military members.

[Ugly]

I think it's a scam. Inmo it is used by one side with fraud being rampant. I've been voting for over 25 years and have never seen a long line except for BHO's second term and it looked to me most of those voters were not there to reelect him.

Either way, a few days to vote makes sense but 3-4 weeks?

I missed the fairness part, well, it must be for the children then! Edited January 17, 2016 by Ugly

[DWARREN123]

Should, in my opinion, be 3 days long from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily. This will give enough time but not be too early.

Just my thoughts.

[Raoul]

I was an election officer for about 10 years. My only agenda was to make sure those who were registered had the opportunity to vote. Anyone suggesting restricting the ability for a registered voter to cast a legitimate ballot is in my mind an enemy of the republic.

As for buying the vote in some manner, both parties have been and probably still are guilty of this in some manner in some areas.

[btq96r]

Do you think early voting serves both parties equally?

 

It's not supposed to serve both parties equally.  It's supposed to serve the electoral process by making sure people have every opportunity to vote.  If the Republicans think it's unfair...oh well.  They can get better candidates, or change their positions.  More people voting is not a problem at all.

[Trekbike]

have seen elections where candidates have been convicted, died, etc. between early voting times and the regular election.

Yea, that happened to me in 2008 when Fred Thompson was running for president and he dropped out between when I early voted and the normal primary election day. Flushed my vote down the toilet.

[Ugly]

It's not supposed to serve both parties equally. It's supposed to serve the electoral process by making sure people have every opportunity to vote. If the Republicans think it's unfair...oh well. They can get better candidates, or change their positions. More people voting is not a problem at all.

More, or should I say, dead, illegal, multiple votes is the problem. You have to be gullible, a pay per post forum member or a bleeding heart to think otherwise. Extra days for voting should benefit the working folk, everyone else should be able to leave their milk crate or Xbox and go during voting day, inmo.

[Sam1]

More, or should I say, dead, illegal, multiple votes is the problem. You have to be gullible, a pay per post forum member or a bleeding heart to think otherwise. Extra days for voting should benefit the working folk, everyone else should be able to leave their milk crate or Xbox and go during voting day, inmo.

 

I don't think extra days should benefit anyone that is in the country and medically able to make it to the polls. everyone knows a year in advance when the election is (and 4 years for president), if they don't think that the election is important enough to schedule around it, then don't vote.

[n0rlf]

My grandfather went to the polling place and voted republican until the day he died. He has since voted early and democrat. Often!

[K191145]

Voting is already messed up enough with long waiting lines. It's amazing to me that anyone waits until voting day to vote. If you haven't made up your mind a month before the election, you're probably too dumb to vote.

 

Well I take my mom who is 87, had two open heart surgeries and both knees replaced to early voting to avoid long lines, not only her but early voting is easier on a lot of elderly people who couldn't tolerate standing outside in November or August. It is a convenience for a lot of people. That said, a few elections ago I early voted for Fred Thompson in a primary election, as soon as I got home and turned on the news the first story was he was dropping out of the race. That was a vote flushed down the toilet.

[Oh Shoot]

Yea, that happened to me in 2008 when Fred Thompson was running for president and he dropped out between when I early voted and the normal primary election day. Flushed my vote down the toilet.

 
You gotta be disremembering something or other?  He dropped out on Jan. 22 of that year.
 

... That said, a few elections ago I early voted for Fred Thompson in a primary election, as soon as I got home and turned on the news the first story was he was dropping out of the race. That was a vote flushed down the toilet

Is this a collective past hallucination, or what? ;)

- OS Edited January 18, 2016 by Oh Shoot

[Oh Shoot]

combined two into one Edited January 18, 2016 by Oh Shoot

[Trekbike]

You gotta be disremembering something or other? He dropped out on Jan. 22 of that year.


Is this a collective past hallucination, or what? ;)

- OS

I don't recall all the details but I'm sure I early voted for Fred and he then dropped out of the race prior to the primary held on election day.

[btq96r]

 
You gotta be disremembering something or other?  He dropped out on Jan. 22 of that year.
 

Is this a collective past hallucination, or what? ;)

- OS

 

He did drop out on that date, but since the Tennessee Presidential Primary was on February 5th that year, he still would have been on the ballot most likely.  I'm sure the news that he dropped out was so low key in the grand scheme that you could have blinked and missed it.

[K191145]

 
You gotta be disremembering something or other?  He dropped out on Jan. 22 of that year.
 

Is this a collective past hallucination, or what? ;)

- OS

 

That actually happened, the very day I voted "EARLY" in Pegram, he dropped out the same day except I didn't hear it till I got home. He wasn't doing very well in the polls and I think he really didn't want to be in the race to begin with. Early voting starts several weeks before the primary.

[Oh Shoot]

He did drop out on that date, but since the Tennessee Presidential Primary was on February 5th that year, he still would have been on the ballot most likely.  I'm sure the news that he dropped out was so low key in the grand scheme that you could have blinked and missed it.

 

Ah, okay, I get it. Some Super Tuesday states, including TN,  jockeyed date around that one year. I thought we had always done it in March since the 70's.

 

Mea culpa, TrekBike and K191145, I should have researched before posting.

 

- OS

Edited January 18, 2016 by Oh Shoot

[runco]

It's not supposed to serve both parties equally.  It's supposed to serve the electoral process by making sure people have every opportunity to vote.  If the Republicans think it's unfair...oh well.  They can get better candidates, or change their positions.  More people voting is not a problem at all.

I use to think the same way.  However at minimum I think the government should shut off registering to vote before early voting begins, maybe 90 days in advance.  Not provide any new transportation for voting.  In addition, I wish there was a IQ test to provide to week out low information voters.

[Grand Torino]

My grandfather went to the polling place and voted republican until the day he died. He has since voted early and democrat. Often!

[btq96r]

I use to think the same way.  However at minimum I think the government should shut off registering to vote before early voting begins, maybe 90 days in advance.  Not provide any new transportation for voting.  In addition, I wish there was a IQ test to provide to week out low information voters.

 

Shut off registration 90 days before an election?  I think there should be same day registration at places that can handle it (small voting sites like a set up in the local fire house on election day excluded).  What reasons do you have for denying someone who wants to vote from registering close to an election?

 

Also, what kind of government provided transportation for voting is there?  Assistance to the polls are done by organizations (political non-profits, churches, ect) and campaigns. 

 

And we saw what happens when you put some kind of test in front of a person and the ballot.  It will be used to deny those you simply don't want to vote from doing so.  No thanks.

 

Your ideas would subvert our voting system, not make it better.  At least not for Democrats, and I think that would be your goal.

[WindHawk]

I can see it both ways.  I've waited to vote on election day and  "lost" my vote because of conflicts I couldn't work out; I've enjoyed the opportunity to vote early and "avoid the lines".   

As far as recruiting voters, the same opportunity exists for all parties.  Can't say I agree with it but anyone that believes politics is a nicey, nice let's play fair activity isn't very in tune with the real world.  

[K191145]

Ah, okay, I get it. Some Super Tuesday states, including TN,  jockeyed date around that one year. I thought we had always done it in March since the 70's.

 

Mea culpa, TrekBike and K191145, I should have researched before posting.

 

- OS

 

I figured Fred was going to drop out anyway, you could see that he wasn't really motivated, he only entered the race because of people begging him to.