Hey, Iowa and New Hampshire! Read this!

[wyldwolf]

Here's a little secret that got out this weekend that should chasten those smug folks in Iowa and New Hampshire who think that just because they are so totally unrepresentative of America as a whole, it is their right to always vote first in presidential years.

Publicity and news coverage to the contrary, they really aren't anymore.

Thanks to quiet changes in how busy Americans choose to vote -- namely the explosion of early absentee voting as a convenience, not a necessity caused by travel -- Florida's absentee voters will actually be the first Americans to start voting in the primary process for the 2008 election. They can start casting their ballots on Christmas Day, 23 days from now and a full nine days before Iowa's caucus-goers thought they'd be first in the nation.

This means that voting in the 2008 presidential election process actually begins in 2007.

That curious reminder emerged from a conference on elections, hosted by the Pew Charitable Trusts, outside San Francisco this weekend.

A survey of election deadlines -- distributed by one of the speakers, Paul Gronke, an elections expert at Reed College in Oregon -- shows that Sunshine state absentee voters will get first crack at the candidates.

Additionally, Gronke's documents show that a strong trend toward early absentee voting all over the West is also quietly undercutting the “first in the nation” primacy of the Hawkeye and Granite states. By this measure, for instance, Iowa is merely tied for second in voting order. On Jan. 3, the night of the Iowa caucuses (and the Fiesta Bowl that might tempt some to stay home by the TV), Arizona voters can begin voting absentee.

Californians may begin voting -- either absentee or in person at select locations -- as early as Jan. 7, a day before the once-inviolate primary primary in New Hampshire now set for Jan. 8. New Mexico voters also start voting absentee before the N.H. primary, starting on Jan. 5.

Oh, and for that matter, here's an even earlier note: overseas and military voters from California have a right to get a ballot starting in five days, on this coming Friday, Dec. 7.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2007/12/firsttovote.html

[Life Long Dem]

1. Call in an 8 year old genius to decode this because

Actually, I didn't even see any statistics or percentages, so strike the genius kid. Cue the deer (Funny Farm).

[DU9598]

2. Read it, what's the point?

Are the absentee ballot results going to be posted Jan. 3rd like my caucus results? Nope ... don't think so.

Come join us in Iowa ... we would love to have you. Des Moines is absolutely beautiful with fresh fallen snow this morning making everything look crisp and clean this afternoon. The campaign offices are stocked full of amazing Democrats working themselves silly to gain support here. The messages that will lead one of our candidates to the White House are being refined daily in front of our eager electorate. I would recommend that at some point while small towns and cities still matter in the process - as opposed to slick TV spots - that you check it out.

<http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/travel/02journeys.html?ref=travel>

[wyldwolf]

3. well, actually...

...there is no law against these states posting ongoing results early. In fact, before Iowa settled on it's day, the news out of CA was early results would be well known nationally before Iowans cast their first vote.

So, yeah, possibly on the day of the Iowa caucas, we could know how things are going in Florida and before NH we could be getting CA results.

[Debi]

4. *snark*

However, the results of FL or CA votes will not influence Iowan's choices for the caucuses. :hi:

[Cameron27]

5. You're right, but

Iowa and NH may not have the same bounce either.

[Debi]

7. With the 24/7 news cycle and the internets and the compressed calendar

I don't think they will.

[MGKrebs]

6. Is it fair to say that either the campaigns have missed this or

they still place extreme value on the Iowa caucus, based on the time and money spent there?

Actually, on second thought, some candidates do pretty much skip Iowa. Giuliani for example.

[wyldwolf]

8. the point being...

It is a very real possibility that we'll know how the chips are falling in Florida, Nevada, and California by the time New Hampshire rolls around.

[Debi]

10. I thought Nevada was a caucus

and was scheduled for January 19th.

Has something changed?

[wyldwolf]

11. sorry! I meant Arizona

[Debi]

12. Those sunny, dry states.....easy to get switched around!

Do you have any notice that the absentee ballots will be opened and reported on prior to election day? Kind of odd if they were.

[wyldwolf]

14. My theory, based on reports earlier this year that California's would

[Debi]

16. Why not just move up the primary then? That's effectivly what early reporting of absentee ballots is

:shrug:

[wyldwolf]

17. I dunno. Maybe this was a way to move up the primary without doing it officially

[Debi]

19. Whatever works. n/t

[Debi]

9. This information got around Iowa back in May or June

Here's a blog post on it, I think there were some newspaper articles about it as well.

http://www.essentialestrogen.com/2007/05/millions_poised_to_cast_vote_b.html

I'm sure the campaigns were aware of the calendar.

[JackORoses]

13. damn, things are getting desparate in Hillaryland.

Now Iowa and New Hampshire don't matter.

But Florida and Michigan, two states whose delegates won't even count,
will play a major role in determining the Nominee.

Give me a break.

Have you already given up in IA an NH? Sounds like it.

[wyldwolf]

15. this didn't come from the Hillary campaign, but Obamanation, as usual, has a knee-jerk reaction

[K Gardner]

18. You know, this really sounds like a slam to Iowa and NH, and they've done nothing to deserve it.

I'm not sure what the underlying text is here, but Iowa and NH have served the nation well for years. (and no, I don't live in either place ) It kind of sounds a bit like desperation, from someone whose candidate might be kinda sinking in the poles due to ... oh, desperation :-) Motto for the day: Lighten up. Be happy. People like to vote for HAPPY people. Negativity: Big downer ! :think:

[Debi]

20. Iowa and New Hampshire were aware of this six months ago

I'm sure all the campaigns were too and have acted accordingly. :hi:

[wyldwolf]

21. psst! Follow the little linky after the text then tell me whose campaign this came from

[Strelnikov_]

22. Does the Clinton camp view Iowa and New Hampshire voters as being smug?

Also, hard to be smug with a couple of inches of ice on the ground, covered with snow, with more coming, and there is still three months of winter left.

[Debi]

23. That's what hot toddy's are for!

MMMMM smug w/a warm drink in my hand! :scared: