I don't want to pick on dumb people, but...

[sister moon]

What the fuck are you thinking when you wait until a week or two before an election to request your absentee ballot and then are suprised when it doesn't arrive in time? What the fuck is wrong with people who have months and months to register or to update their address and wait until the last fucking minute??! I'm sorry (no, not really) but I think I'll spontaneously combust if I hear one more sob story from some schmuck who put off registering and/or requesting a ballot and is looking for sympathy now.

[Catch22Dem]

1. I was saying the same thing earlier

[Worst Username Ever]

2. I blame the system

Seriously, is people are this uneducated about how to exercise their most basic democratic right, something is wrong with the system. EVERYONE should know how to do this. They should receive pamphlets, classes, become automatically registered at age 18, be automatically mailed ballots and directions, etc. We have to take classes for a drivers license but we are let on out own to figure out how to vote?

[sister moon]

5. When I was in high school

many moons ago, we were instructed on how to use a voting machine. They even rolled one into the gymnasium so we could practice. And they registered those of us who were 18. This was in New York State in the late 70's.

[Worst Username Ever]

6. Good lord, that would be great.

They never did that for stuff us. class o' 1995. FORTUNATELY, MN registers you the day-of at the polls. You don't even need ID, just a registered voter who can vouch for you.

[SoCalDem]

3. The pols are making a big mistake by NOT shouting this from the rooftops

It's always in the paper..the deadline for requesting absentee ballots..but people do not read the papers these days..

I wish the people "in the know" would make August..

National Voter Responsibility Month..

No matter if it's an "election year" or now.. It would be great to have people aware in AUGUST, that they need to be sure they are registered, or to check with the registrars' offices to make sure their information is correct.

If something is amiss, they have plenty of time to correct it.. If they wait until election day, they are gonna be very unhappy..

and it;s not fair to the volunteers at the polls, to have to coontend with all these "last minute" worriers..

[kranich]

4. I know

I moved since the last election and had to re register so I did it online (with Rock the Vote) way back in September and after 4 weeks when I did not get my card I took my unhappy ass down to the voters office and registered in person, so I got my card in less than a week. Some people are just stupid and lazy.

[rinsd]

7. I would tend to agree.

A woman was at the polls this morning. She was in the wrong precinct. She knew she was in the wrong precinct(the correct one wasn't even closeby) but when told she could vote provisionally or go to her correct precinct, she threw a fit.

This isn't hard stuff. I think CA and San Diego County do a bang up job on their Voter Info Guides.

[m berst]

8. a note of caution

There are so many obstacles to voting and to being informed and motivated. So many people are discouraged and don't vote at all, and an inevitable consequence of bringing those people into the electorate is that some will be too slow, too late or go to the wrong place and otherwise botch it up. Elderly people, people dealing with family tragedies or illness, people recently inspired to register and to vote, people who were given confusing or incorrect instructions - all of this can and is happening.

Blaming the people for being stupid is a strong Republican propaganda point, and is used as an excuse for all sorts of horrific things. So many people are hanging by a thread, stressed out, broke, confused, and isolated.

I would urge caution about blaming people or calling them dumb or stupid. The Republicans historically make it as difficult as they can on people to do anything, and play "gotcha" and tell people that "well you should have done this, or you should have done that" when we all know that the game is rigged against average people in so many cruel and arbitrary ways.

[dubyaD40web]

9. Honestly, it never bothers me to pick on dumb people.

If they're that stupid, then they don't deserve to vote. Sort of like a "minimum requirements test" in order to vote. You don't have to be able to read to vote. You don't have to have any education whatsoever to vote. You don't need to be able to dress yourself to vote. But if you're too stupid to register on time, well then.... sucks being you.

If I may, I'd like to add a corollary to that. If you're too lazy to vote, then you give up all rights to bitch about the outcome, or about any decisions made by the winners, any policy implemented by the government, or any effect it has on your life. If you don't vote, you implicitly state that you are willing to accept whatever you are handed, so shut the f*** up and vote next time. Until then, your voice means nothing, and we ain't listening.

[TahitiNut]

10. It'd make a great way to celebrate the 4th of July: Register to Vote.

Part of the problem is the laws vary tremendously from state to state. Some states permit people to 'register' on Election Day. :shrug:

States with "Motor Voter" are good for the just-turned-18 folks.