Why I don't cast my vote in person

[CreekDog]

I think people should be able to cast their votes in person or by mail, on Election Day or on another day and my county offers that to all voters.

With that said, I haven't voted in person for 11 years and here is why:

1) It helps the campaigns I support. I've been a volunteer many times and submitting an absentee ballot, and early gets me off the campaign's to do list, saving them calls and energy to get me out to vote that can be used for people who it would truly be effective in getting them to actually vote.

2) The length of the ballot simply means I can research each item and candidate and fill it out carefully and slowly at home.

3) I don't work near my polling place, so I either have to leave later for work or if I get delayed in the city during the day, risk losing my chance to vote at all by doing it after work. There are train delays and other things that can cause one to get home far later than planned here in the Bay Area.

4) I have submitted my vote by mail ballot in person on election day many times, but I think it's still preferable because I don't take up time in the booths, so that those in line don't need to wait for me.

Yes, I was at one time, "old fashioned" and voted in person and remember my first presidential election, loved voting in person. It was historic and felt very "citizeny". But then in 2003, we had a 3 page ballot for governor and I wasn't going to deal with that in the voting booth.

There is also a mention that absentee ballots are counted after the rest of the votes, but not quite. In California, the absentees are actually counted first unless they are dropped off on election day. The first numbers out of California are usually almost all absentees and until Democrats started voting more absentee, the early numbers were overwhelmingly Republican, but Democratic voting by mail has narrowed that and the early numbers are much better.

Whatever way you want to vote, I support that, but keep in mind that your campaigns are busy and they don't really know if you're going to turn out on Election Day. You can stay off their to do lists by voting early, and you can stay out of voting lines and help make them shorter. And if something comes up on Election Day, emergency travel, illness, etc., your ballot and vote are assured if you've done it already.

[FSogol]

1. #2 is not true. Your local Democratic party can hook you up with a sample ballot at least a month

in advance of the election, giving even the most procrastinating person time to research what requires research.

As for your main point, vote using whatever method you like.

[frazzled]

6. I am able to get a sample ballot for my precinct

On line, with one click of a button from the Election Board website, weeks in advance of a primary or election.

While I applaud most of the OP's reasons--for himself-- for voting by mail, I do think there is a cautionary note to sound for the general public voting by mail en masse. If you vote in person and mismark a ballot (say, voting for 3 rather than 2 candidates for a county board or just filling anything in incorrectly), a machine will reject your ballot on the spot as spoiled and you can get a new one. A spoiled ballot sent by mail is spoiled, and thrown out. It's a problem that affects less educated or experienced voters, and is therefore, in a sense, a form of voter suppression.

[Qutzupalotl]

18. Here in Oregon, we're all vote by mail.

If you spoil your ballot, you can request a new one:
http://www.co.clatsop.or.us/clerk/page/need-replacement-ballot

Most here vote early enough to take advantage of that. Turnout is usually over 80% in presidential election years.

[frazzled]

19. Do they inform you whether you spoiled your ballot?

Most people don't know they did and send it in anyway. And if you sent your ballot in during the final days, no way are you going to get a new one in time. You didn't vote.

[Qutzupalotl]

20. From what I understand, spoiled ballots are rare here.

Probably due to the leisurely pace, people are able to vote carefully. You do a self-check before you mail it. Also, I haven't seen any contests here like what you describe, where you have to pick 2.

But to answer your question, no. They first have to verify you are a valid voter (you sign the outside of your envelope, and there is an inner secrecy envelope). There would not be a way to match the voter with the ballot once it's counted. Nevertheless, turnout is so high that I don't think it's accurate to call it a form of voter suppression — it's more like an unforced error; you do it to yourself.

If you notice you've spoiled your ballot, you can request a new one, and if time is short, you can use a drop box on election day.

[CreekDog]

7. No, #2 is true

filling out a sample ballot is not the same as filling in a ballot.

why fill out a sample ballot to simply copy it over in the voting booth and possibly make a mistake. furthermore, for those who can't stand for very long or need a lot of light, doing it at home is far superior.

[FSogol]

10. I didn't suggest filling out a sample ballot, you said you needed the time for research.

You can research the ballot at home at your leisure. You don't have to wait until election day or vote earlier to do research. Nothing on the ballot should be a surprise to the informed voter.

[CreekDog]

11. Hey you started this by saying I posted something untrue

what I posted is true, you have to wait to fill out the actual ballot on election day if that's the time you're going to get it. a sample ballot is not the same thing or else you could submit it.

[FSogol]

12. Ok, whatever. You said research, so I thought you meant research. If checking a box or coloring a

circle is a lot of work, go for it and vote at home. I did agree with your main point that everyone should vote in the method they want, so I'm not sure why this is a problem. Feel free to have the last word.

[CreekDog]

13. I wrote a sentence and the sentence was true

it's dishonest to take 3 words from a full sentence and then call it untrue because you've ignored the rest of it.

[Retrograde]

21. Different states, different rules and practices

California sends all registered voters a lengthy information pamphlet, with statements from candidates for state offices, full texts of all the state propositions, with arguments pro and con, and other general election information, such as what IDs are acceptable for first time in-person voters. Then each county sends out a sample ballot with the same info for local states and issues. I was surprised the first time I voted in CA, since New York didn't do any of this.

And still, voter turnout is lower than it should be.

[Retrograde]

2. Short CA ballot - only five pages

I vote by mail because I actually read the voters' guide and the candidate statements while filling out the ballot, and it's easier to do at home. Oh, I suppose I could just mark my sample ballot and take it to the polling place, but once I've done that it's just as easy to mail in a real ballot. My county registrar's web site has a place where you can track whether your ballot was received and counted.

I signed up as a permanent mail-in voter because I often found myself out of town on election days, and I didn't want to miss out. I'm home today with a bad knee, so I'm glad I already voted.

[CreekDog]

8. Yes, each and everything you said, is part of my own motivation for doing it this way

[bullwinkle428]

3. K&R for the alternative view. I've been voting early in Iowa since

it became an option, and have urged others to do so as well. In fact, I made it a point to make sure that people were informed about this option, as the local Democratic door-knockers that talked me about six weeks back were not even aware of this choice - they thought the only two options were a mail-in absentee ballot, and in-person on Election day.

[uppityperson]

4. I vote at home because our cou ty is all mail in, but I do miss the excitement at the polling places

I used to fill out the thing at home, then go to the polling location and copy there. But being on the W coast, it was annoying to have results announced before I voted after work, felt disenfanchised. I heard people say they weren't going to vote because the winners were already announced. Now I can vote early by mail and lnow they are counted.

It doesn't really matter which way you vote, both have benefits. Just that you do vote.

[meegbear]

5. Good for you!

As long as you vote, VOTE!

[CreekDog]

9. Yes, I voted 2 weeks ago!

[Starry Messenger]

14. Mail in takes you off the phone banking list

I did phone banking last week and just learned that.

Voted early and didn't get a single call! Win win!

[CreekDog]

23. when I volunteered for Obama in Nevada

worked the poorest precinct in Reno.

nearly everyone I talked to already voted, in person or mail in.

allowed the campaign to really focus on the hard to gets.

win win and of course i voted early, I was in Nevada that election day.

[cyberswede]

15. Those are all great reasons.

If our polling place had opened at 8:00 instead of 7:00 this morning, I don't know when I would have been able to vote.

Later today, we have to go from work straight to our daughter's basketball game in another town, and then straight to a volleyball game in yet another town. We won't get back to our own town until after the polls close.

I hadn't really thought about the logistics of our day until late last night - so I hopped online to see when the polls open, and was delighted that they opened at 7:00 a.m. I should probably consider voting absentee next time, in case we run into similar schedule issues.

I'm glad we have more options these days.

[TDale313]

16. I vote absentee ballot, but hand it in at the polls.

yeah, I could mail it early I suppose, but I like bringing it to my polling place.

Oh, and yeah, turned mine in this morning, so I've voted.

[840high]

17. I like tradition. Going to

vote now in person.

[Zorra]

22. [phone]. What's not to like? Early voting has many positives, and no negatives.

It's a 10 mile drive for me to go vote in person, and by voting early I avoid any possible contact with republicans at the polls.