Early Voting/Absentee Voting: Why??

[dabrockster]

Maybe this is my preference but I don't get why the GOP here in Ohio or nationally are pushing this so hard.

Early Votes/Absentee votes are not included in the "Day of Election" count by the BOE here in Ohio nor do I think they are nationally..

I was in training last night as a Poll worker and I asked about this just to see if I was on track etc...

All of the absentee/Early votes are not "officially" included in the Day of Election count. The reason behind this is due to the time it takes to ensure the individual did not go out to the polls on the day of election and vote again. Therefore they withhold these votes on the day of the elction count and usually 2 weeks after the elections, the BOE will finally come out with the "Official Count". By then, the media has already called the election based off of the polls for the day etc..

They were pushing us poll workers to vote early as well, but for me I want my vote to truly count on the day of the election.. Now some may say, your single vote is not going to change the election etc, and that may be true, but if a party is pushing many to vote early, and they get thousands upon thousands (As we have now seen) to do this then that truly could have an impact.

I would think the best strategy would be to ensure these people get out and vote on the "Day of the Election"..


Am I missing something??

[Tim]

Maybe this is my preference but I don't get why the GOP here in Ohio or nationally are pushing this so hard.

Early Votes/Absentee votes are not included in the "Day of Election" count by the BOE here in Ohio nor do I think they are nationally..

I was in training last night as a Poll worker and I asked about this just to see if I was on track etc...

All of the absentee/Early votes are not "officially" included in the Day of Election count. The reason behind this is due to the time it takes to ensure the individual did not go out to the polls on the day of election and vote again. Therefore they withhold these votes on the day of the elction count and usually 2 weeks after the elections, the BOE will finally come out with the "Official Count". By then, the media has already called the election based off of the polls for the day etc..

They were pushing us poll workers to vote early as well, but for me I want my vote to truly count on the day of the election.. Now some may say, your single vote is not going to change the election etc, and that may be true, but if a party is pushing many to vote early, and they get thousands upon thousands (As we have now seen) to do this then that truly could have an impact.

I would think the best strategy would be to ensure these people get out and vote on the "Day of the Election"..


Am I missing something??

Wait, you're a poll worker? With your recent history of inventing facts I'm not sure you have the integrity required to be a protector of our most sacred American opportunity. Gratefully I've just contacted the Franklin County Board of Elections to notify them of your issues dealing with simple facts, so I would expect a call from them shortly if I were you.

(Just to clarify, this was sarcasm. Some people here aren't capable of noting obvious sarcasm, so I'll now be pointing it out every time I use it.)

[Moliere]

Maybe this is my preference but I don't get why the GOP here in Ohio or nationally are pushing this so hard.

Early Votes/Absentee votes are not included in the "Day of Election" count by the BOE here in Ohio nor do I think they are nationally..

I was in training last night as a Poll worker and I asked about this just to see if I was on track etc...

All of the absentee/Early votes are not "officially" included in the Day of Election count. The reason behind this is due to the time it takes to ensure the individual did not go out to the polls on the day of election and vote again. Therefore they withhold these votes on the day of the elction count and usually 2 weeks after the elections, the BOE will finally come out with the "Official Count". By then, the media has already called the election based off of the polls for the day etc..

They were pushing us poll workers to vote early as well, but for me I want my vote to truly count on the day of the election.. Now some may say, your single vote is not going to change the election etc, and that may be true, but if a party is pushing many to vote early, and they get thousands upon thousands (As we have now seen) to do this then that truly could have an impact.

I would think the best strategy would be to ensure these people get out and vote on the "Day of the Election"..


Am I missing something??

Early voting is a good way to ensure that people cast votes. Election day can be crazy at the polls. You can have inclement weather or long lines, and both of those can turn people away. In Houston, there was a line 1 mile long at one of the polling places for the GOP primary. I'm sure not all of those people stuck around to vote and I'm sure many just went home without getting in line.

The media also doesn't call the race, they predict the outcome. What counts is the official vote count that comes out later. Your vote will count, it just won't be one that shows up on the vote count the night of the election.

Whether you vote on election day or vote absentee ballot, your vote will count.....especially since you are in Ohio!

[Moliere]

Wait, you're a poll worker? With your recent history of inventing facts I'm not sure you have the integrity required to be a protector of our most sacred American opportunity. Gratefully I've just contacted the Franklin County Board of Elections to notify them of your issues dealing with simple facts, so I would expect a call from them shortly if I were you.

(Just to clarify, this was sarcasm. Some people here aren't capable of noting obvious sarcasm, so I'll now be pointing it out every time I use it.)

He didn't state anything in there that he claimed to be factual as he prefaced it all with being his thoughts. Just FYI.

[Tim]

He didn't state anything in there that he claimed to be factual as he prefaced it all with being his thoughts. Just FYI.

Really?

Either way, your above post leads me to think you movement towards your current view of politics was more out of irrritation

If you read the post above that he refers to, I specifically state what my reasons were. So I posted facts about myself and described them in clear detail, and his reading of that suggests to him that the facts were exactly the opposite? And you're defending his reading? He could've said "I don't believe you," but he said that my post led him to think the opposite.

I swear some of you people are so dead-set on making me look bad that you'll defend the weirdest things... What gives?

[dabrockster]

Hey Tim,

I responded to you in that thread. Back to the topic here please...

As for being a poll worker.. Resistence is futile...

[Moliere]

Really?



If you read the post above that he refers to, I specifically state what my reasons were. So I posted facts about myself and described them in clear detail, and his reading of that suggests to him that the facts were exactly the opposite? And you're defending his reading? He could've said "I don't believe you," but he said that my post led him to think the opposite.

I swear some of you people are so dead-set on making me look bad that you'll defend the weirdest things... What gives?

You said me invented facts. He only gave his thoughts. Thoughts aren't facts. Just making a minor correction.

[dabrockster]

Early voting is a good way to ensure that people cast votes. Election day can be crazy at the polls. You can have inclement weather or long lines, and both of those can turn people away. In Houston, there was a line 1 mile long at one of the polling places for the GOP primary. I'm sure not all of those people stuck around to vote and I'm sure many just went home without getting in line.

The media also doesn't call the race, they predict the outcome. What counts is the official vote count that comes out later. Your vote will count, it just won't be one that shows up on the vote count the night of the election.

Whether you vote on election day or vote absentee ballot, your vote will count.....especially since you are in Ohio!

Yes, the media predict the outcome, There is a party for the winner etc.. Then, 2 weeks later the "Official Count" comes out. Did it really have a impact on the election?? Not really.. So does your absentee vote truly count??

I think this strategy of early/absentee voting is misguided and not the best strategy.. The day of the election "Exit Polls" is what drives each party to respond and get people out to vote....

To me, personally it would feel like my vote really didn't count..

[jay santos]

Early voting has its place for people who are living outside their home state, but I was suprised to see numbers like 20% voting early. That doesn't seem right. There is a reason the system was set up that we all go to vote on the same day, and it seems like a manipulation of the system to do it outside that.

[YOhio]

Yesterday the Obama camp bussed people from his rally in Dayton straight over to the board of elections for early voting.

[Moliere]

Early voting has its place for people who are living outside their home state, but I was suprised to see numbers like 20% voting early. That doesn't seem right. There is a reason the system was set up that we all go to vote on the same day, and it seems like a manipulation of the system to do it outside that.

I don't agree. I waited in line for 3 hours to vote in the primary race. The race was called while I was in line. In spite of my candidate losing I still waited and voted. I don't have time to wait in line for hours upon hours to vote. I'd prefer to cast my ballot with as little inconvenience as possible and that's while I'll vote tomorrow.

Early voting started in Texas and the lines are anywhere from 1-2 hours long in Houston. I thought this would be just a "first day" type of wait, but the lines continue even today. HOpefully they die off a bit tomorrow.

[beefytee]

I have already completed and submitted my mail-in ballot.

There are 2 reasons I do this.

1. Convenience: I don't have to wait in line or schedule inside a narrow window of time to vote.
2. Optical scanners: Being a programmer, I really don't trust the electronic voting machines and for mail-in ballots they send you a bubble sheet to fill out. Optical scan sheets is the best system we currently have (i.e. most accurate, least proned to manipulation).

[dabrockster]

Yesterday the Obama camp bussed people from his rally in Dayton straight over to the board of elections for early voting.

So, here is a question. Will the large turnout of absentee/early voters will Ohio even be called the night of the election? Will all these early voting have this type of impact?

With Dem's voting so many in absentee will it be a negative to the result on Election day..

[Tim]

Early voting has its place for people who are living outside their home state, but I was suprised to see numbers like 20% voting early. That doesn't seem right. There is a reason the system was set up that we all go to vote on the same day, and it seems like a manipulation of the system to do it outside that.

I would support a movement to get rid of early voting, but only in exchange for election day becoming a federal holiday.

[jay santos]

I don't agree. I waited in line for 3 hours to vote in the primary race. The race was called while I was in line. In spite of my candidate losing I still waited and voted. I don't have time to wait in line for hours upon hours to vote. I'd prefer to cast my ballot with as little inconvenience as possible and that's while I'll vote tomorrow.

Early voting started in Texas and the lines are anywhere from 1-2 hours long in Houston. I thought this would be just a "first day" type of wait, but the lines continue even today. HOpefully they die off a bit tomorrow.

I need to think through this maybe. It just seems to circumvent the natural process in place. We have a two party system with designated times for narrowing of candidates, conventions, and voting. It seems to throw this all off kilter if you have such a significant portion of people voting early.