Why I Love Early Voting (An Early Voter Thread)

[divineorder]

Yesterday, I went to the Board of Elections to early vote. It will be my second time doing so (the first time was 2008). It was busier than the last time-the last time there was only one other voter. This time there were several more voters, even though it was a Friday afternoon around 2:30 pm. So I asked the clerk that was working the desk how it was going, and she said it was a steady stream of voting. So I got my ballot, sat down at a long table, and got busy voting, dropped my ballot in the box, and that was it. No long lines or stressed out conditions.

Now as to why I like early voting. For me, early voting is less stress. The lines are shorter and I can take my time looking at the ballot and being sure of who I want to vote for. I know that my ballot will be counted because if there was any problem, I have time to fix the problem instead of getting a provisional ballot that may or may not be counted. I can choose the day to vote, and avoid rougher weather, or conversely, choose a rainy day to vote in order to shorten the lines even further.

On the larger picture, I like early voting because it nullifies a lot of the tricks used to discourage voters. Early voters can't be turned away from the polls due to false rumors because there is time to set things straight. Nobody can afford a month or more of voter intimidation-not even thugs work cheap. The vote is accurate because weather is no factor anymore, people don't win because the weather is crappy anymore-things average out over a month.

What about the rest of you early voters? What makes you prefer early voting?

[Joanne98]

1. I'm going to vote early too.

[divineorder]

4. Thanks

I hope everyone on DU who can votes early. I'm sure that's several thousand right there, and in off-year elections that just might be enough to save or turn some seats.

[defendandprotect]

2. I voted two or three weeks ago in NJ -- mail in ballot --

[northoftheborder]

3. I try to "early vote" every time, if possible.

This time I know I will be out of town on Nov. 2, so I will definitely vote early. Usually quicker - no lines.

[divineorder]

10. Election Day is Less Stressful For Me As Well

One of the things I noticed the first time I voted early was that I didn't feel as stressed. I knew I could just sleep on my decision and not spend the remaining evening glued to the tv. Perhaps it was also because I didn't have to worry about being turned away from voting because it was too late, people had run out of ballots, or some other nonsense-that now or never feeling you get on Election Day Proper.

One thing I noticed when voting-the Elections people were also happy with it. I can see why they would be. If enough people vote early, then it's a much shorter night on Election Night.

[Pirate Smile]

5. I voted in September. Voting early means a crisis or illness wont make it so you can't vote AND it

helps the Democratic Party because they take you off their list of voters to contact. You wont get any phone calls or lit drops so it saves time and $$$ for the Party. They can use their time more effectively and efficiently - targeting the voters less likely to vote.

[monmouth]

6. I've already voted also and loved being able to really scrutinize

the "questions." You have to read these carefully because the writing seems to me, very convoluted. Legalize I guess is the word. Weather, crowds, intolerant people that guard the polls, etc. I'm with you, I love it...

[gateley]

7. Early voting in NC allowed me to cast my ballot for Obama and head up to

Seattle to be here when the actual election took place. It was packed in NC, but I'm assuming it was because we were voting for Prez.

In Washington State, all but two counties vote by mail, we automatically get the ballots in the mail.

Either way, I like voting early because I want to be SURE I get my vote in and counted.

[napi21]

8. I LIKE absentee voting. When I got my ballot this year, I was

surprised to see there were 4 proposals on there that I hadn't heard anything about. Having the ballot early gave me time to check each of the referendums to see what they REALLY were about. They are all written to make the idea sond very good and I found at least ONE that after digging into what it really would do made me vote NO! There are also a lot of down ballot candidates who we never hear anything about and I had the opportunity to again use the net (that God for the internet!) to make an educated choice.

[divineorder]

12. I ran into a few "nonpartisan" judges who I knew nothing about

And just voted for names that I had already heard about. But that comes from going to the polls instead of having my ballot mailed to me. I just hope that the selections I made weren't too crappy.

[lamp_shade]

9. Got mine today. I'll mail it Monday.

[madmom]

11. I voted last week. LOVE the early voting for all the reasons you stated. I really

don't like standing in lines and avoid them when possible. This works out perfect for me. BTW there were 2 others in voting at the same time and I know of at least 3 others who went the next day.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

13. yes

[bvar22]

14. I have some problems with Early Voting and Vote by Mail.

It IS more convenient, but the problem is THIS:
It absolutely prevents accurate Exit Polls.

Independent Exit Polls are the BEST (and with BBV the ONLY) way to cross check the accuracy of the vote count.
Vote by Mail, and Early Voting makes it much easier to STEAL elections.

The BEST way to ensure Fair, Transparent, and Accurate elections:

*National Holiday for Voting Day

*Paper Ballots

*Publicly Hand Counted at the Polling Station
with Internet Video Feed of the Ballot Boxes and Ballot Counting

*Results posted on the Polling Station Door

*NO Ballot Boxes moved, and Public/Video chain of custody until the vote is certified

*Independent Exit Polls and International observers

Other countries have transparent and verifiable elections.
We should too.
After the Stolen election in 2000,
and the questionable election in 2004,
I can't understand WHY this isn't a burning hot issue with the Democratic Party Leadership.

[divineorder]

15. For Those Who Are Wondering

Here is a non-partisan site that monitors early voting:

http://earlyvoting.net/

[frazzled]

16. I actually love going to the polls on election day

I'd early vote (or absentee vote) if I were going to be out of town, but otherwise, I have always loved the excitement of going to the polls on election day. And I've voted in a lot of different states.

Where I live now, I walk about 4 blocks to the local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers Union Hall. It's large, so two to three precincts actually vote there. I've never had to wait in line, even though this is a big city. I get to see what the turnout is like. I get to see the various candidates' visibility workers holding signs or passing out literature on the streets outside. I get to watch people walking in the same direction and wonder if they are on their way to vote, too. I get to feel like I'm part of a community of people focused on the same thing that day. And afterwards I get to stop at a cafe for coffee and maybe even a roll or pastry (something I never do), thinking about the ballot.

It's just a tradition for me, and I like the communal aspect of it. So I'll keep voting on election day, unless there is some reason for me not to.

[divineorder]

17. There is something to that old tradition

Perhaps as things progress, some campaigns could provide a little occasional excitement on random days during the long stretch as well as on Election Day. Maybe they can get volunteers to hand out stuff or just serenade voters as they go in.

But after 2000, the tradition has had less charm for me. I would rather our votes be counted and people less hassled. I cried when I read about people being turned away from ballot boxes by the police, and when vote counting was interrupted by the Brooks Brothers mob. Give me a sunny October afternoon at the Board of Elections any year.