The Election Reform Task Force released its report (download PDF,) calling for the following improvements to the state election process:
- Moving the date of the primary election at least four weeks earlier to give election supervisors sufficient time to certify the primary results, mail the general election ballots and prepare for the general election.
- Requiring voter identification to get a ballot at the polling site. Voters without identification would be issued a provisional ballot.
- Improving voter registration records. To assure the voter rolls do not include illegitimate voters or duplications, the task force recommends a strong effort to bring a new statewide voter database online as soon as possible.
- Improving military ballots. Moving the primary date earlier would improve the ability of service men and women to participate in elections. The task force also recommends a system of deployment notification and ballot delivery tailored to those members called up and expected to be away from home on Election Day.
- Assuring statewide procedural consistency by giving the Secretary of State a stronger role to bring about a more consistent election process between counties.
- Providing clearer warnings and stronger enforcement of voter fraud. The Legislature should evaluate whether current penalties are enough of a deterrent to voter fraud and whether sufficient funding is provided to investigate and prosecute this type of fraud. The task force recommends clearer warnings in voter material and on the back of ballot envelopes.
- Setting a consistent date for certifying results. To minimize the perception of impropriety, the task force recommends that all counties certify their results on the same day.
- Modifying provisional ballots. Provisional ballots should be a different color than regular ballots and provisions made to halt such ballots from being read by the optical scanners at the polling sites.
- Providing for mandatory review or audit. The task force believes that, to restore trust in the elections systems, a strong, structured review or audit program should be conducted by the Secretary of State’s Office.
The only one of these recommendations I have any qualms over is the one requiring ID, for pragmatic reasons I intend to get into later. But the rest of the reforms seem pretty uncontroversial.
In fact I’m sure the biggest criticism of the report will be that it doesn’t go far enough. For example, I believe it is critical to mandate voter verifiable paper trails for electronic voting machines, whereas some of you on the right would probably prefer much tighter voting procedures… you know, like restricting the franchise to propertied, white males.
I’d like to take some time to really explore election reform in detail, but before I start pontificating, I thought I’d open this thread as an opportunity for all of you to tell me what kind of election reform you want to see. I want to hear your suggestions. Really. Even all you righties. (Well… most of you righties.)
So let’s try to keep this relatively civil — by HorsesAss.org standards — and on topic.
The ID proposal contained in the list is a good compromise (vs. the “no ID, NO vote” idea). It doesn’t say you can’t vote if you don’t have ID, it just says you’ll get a provisional ballot that will have to be closely checked against the system.
And while some of these things are already part of existing law, I think the SOS should issue specific forms for ballot counts, etc. and not just rough directions. Why? Because sometimes the steps need to be spelled out. For example, it is a fact that response on marketing pieces improves if you write, “enclose your check, stamp the envelope and drop in your mailbox” on the materials. Sad but true.
Goldy,
Very glad to see you agree with most of the reforms listed. I’m dissapointed, but not surprised that you would be against ID for voting. I can’t wait to hear your argument (or attempted argument) against this important reform.
Is there anyone of voting age that does not have some form of ID? Birth Certificate? Passport? Drivers License?
Furthermore, everyone who votes absentee (far too many in my opinion) can still commit the same fraud that they could in the last election by filling in multiple absentee ballots sent to different addresses. Requiring ID is bare minimum to catch fraud at the polls and impose an aura of authority for voting that is more like that surrounding driving. Voting should be taken much more seriously than driving which also requires ID.
Secondly, these reforms fail to correct the biggest flaw in the current process. Reconciliation should be an absolute prerequisite to certification. That means, that the poll books reconcile with the number of poll ballots. Also, the absentee ballots reconcile with the number of ballots sent out and with the number of registered voters who are voting absentee. And lastly the provisionals should distribute to the correct precincts and also reconcile. Precise counts need to be maintained of spoiled ballots, ACP voters, etc. and everything must reconcile BEFORE certification.
I don’t understand why that’s a difficult concept for anyone to grasp. Even if you don’t believe there was any discrepancy in this past election (head in the sand) you should at least be for reconciliation of all ballots in the future before there is any certification.
I know this will cause extreme outrage among the liberal readers here, but you asked for all opinions and so here’s my pie in the sky recommendation that would never get past our current legislature:
We need suffrage based on some limited stadard of knowledge of the voting process and of the candidates and issues. When liberals stand in front of soup kitchen lines and hand out voter registration cards and then provisional ballots to people (who are not really concerned with politics as much as where they are going to get their next meal) in the hopes that they can motivate them to vote for a particular candidate or issue, that’s not voting. That’s predatory brainwashing. And anyone who can’t even figure out the extremely simply task of how to properly fill out the ballot or if that fails, read the instructions on how to accomplish this simple task, has no right to vote.
Mark @1, Jeff B @2,
I will go into much detail later, but let’s just say that my question about requiring ID has to do with “what problem does it solve?” and “by what procedure will it be conducted?” Remember, the same little old ladies who hand you the ballot from the wrong precinct are the ones who will be checking your ID. Will this be effective? And will it increase waiting times at polling places signicantly as it bogs down the process? Essentially, I’m making a cost-benefit analysis of whether it’s worth it.
As to reconciliation, Jeff, you do realize that if you require absolute reconciliation before certification, then no election will ever be certified? As it stands, we do require a reconciliation process. Perhaps the process needs to be improved.
We need suffrage based on some limited stadard of knowledge of the voting process and of the candidates and issues.
I wouldn’t mind. But making and grading a test each election would take a long time and probably be unconstitutional. We want people who didn’t graduate from the UW to be able to vote too.
Jeff B @ 2 – We need suffrage based on some limited stadard of knowledge of the voting process and of the candidates and issues. When liberals stand in front of soup kitchen lines and hand out voter registration cards and then provisional ballots to people (who are not really concerned with politics as much as where they are going to get their next meal) in the hopes that they can motivate them to vote for a particular candidate or issue, that’s not voting. That’s predatory brainwashing. And anyone who can’t even figure out the extremely simply task of how to properly fill out the ballot or if that fails, read the instructions on how to accomplish this simple task, has no right to vote.
Um, no. And, at the risk of using a bad word in a good way, this is precisely the rationale Southern crackers used between 1865 and 1965 to, as the late Randy Newman put it, “Keep the niggers down”.
Given the quality of your thinking and depth of your analysis about this little proposal, you’ll excuse me if I don’t think you’re the appropriate gatekeeper for the whole “who is qualified to vote and who isn’t” test.
…oh yeah, and it won’t get past even the most Scalia-like reading (or trashing) of the US Constitution, let along the Voting Rights Act.
Yeah, I know, alone…
Mr. C, a record for myself has been set. I agree with your comment #5. Anyones education or lack of it should have nothing to do with their constitutional right to vote. I do believe that in the eyes of the constitution all of us are equal and should remain that way.
WIll take time to study this piece by piece but at first glance maybe they should have photo ID voter registration cards issued and pin numbers. But by and large, the % of people vote absentee. Lot to consider, So out with the pin number idea. State audits find faults, then advise amends be made. This is a start.
Mr X @ 5.
The line about Democrats, no mention of Republicans, stand in soup lines handing out voter registration cards is slightly off key in a couple ways. (1) tis called voter registration forms not cards. (2) tis not just called Democrats, also called Republicans. Even the infirmed in nursing homes are sought after along with any human regardless of race, color or social class. Seeking out people, getting them to fill out a voter registration form has always been part of the running process. People born during the Great Depression stood in soup lines and also worked WPA. Today’s food banks feed rich and poor alike, educated and uneducated stand in line. I have found that most things run across the board and party system; human element.
Goldy @ 3
What problem does the ID solve?
For starter: we would not have up to 136,000 illegal non-citizens and aliens registered to vote.
The INS and the State of Washington know who these 136,000 illegal aliens are and where they live.
Armed with this information, the SOS can easily check if these 136,000 illegal aliens are registered to vote, and if they have been voting.
There are nearlly 136,000 who have not filed for their tax returns for 2001, 2002 and 2003, averaging a refund between $500-$1500 each year.
Is Goldy in favor of having 136,000 illegal non-citizens registered to vote and decide the outcome of our elections?
Martin Ringhofer
Goldy, I’ve got to agree with you on this one. Asking someone to show their drivers license is much too onerous. In fact, I think that we should remove that requirement from airplane boardings, strip clubs, bars, and gaming tables. Terrorism – no longer a problem. Under-age drinking and gambling – no longer a problem. Rigged elections and the destruction of democracy – No longer a problem.
We need suffrage based on some limited stadard of knowledge of the voting process and of the candidates and issues.
Jeff B., my G-d!. Doomed to repeat history! Don’t you know literacy tests went out with poll taxes?
These (u)SP types sink to new lows every time this issue comes up!
John @ 13 they do not think for themselves…only copy what meisterbrau Shark says. Sad isn’t it….all the trolls only repeating the sharks idiotic lines
I don’t understand what the problem with the ID card system in place here is… unless it is only to exert an “aura of authority.” And this from the same guy who want to go back to Jim Crow era voting practices.
It looks to me that iof someone does not show an ID, they only get a provisional ballot and it doesn’t count unless it he or she is verified as a legit voter. Sounds like a reasonable compromise to me.
I am sure the neocons would live the idea of voter id cards….omg, that might cost $1 each…..omg…they will raise my taxes again
The part of requiring ID at the voting place is political fluff. There are already several proposals and trials to go to an all vote by mail system. In fact in Pierce County there are precincts that are already mail only.
I do think anyone wanting a provisional ballot or a replacement ballot should have to show ID.
I’m not sure I understand the state’s compelling interest in placing a burden on the voter to prove his identity. Has there been ONE complaint in this election of someone voting at the polls, who was not the person to whom the registered vote was afforded? If so, I haven’t heard it. I’m not talking about signing the wrong line here–I mean going to the polls, saying you’re Bob Jones, and you’re actually Bill Smith. To impede a constitutional right in any way, there needs to be some reason to do it. Of all the outrageous things Rossi’s people are claiming, this isn’t one of them.
To answer the question, the estimate is about 6-7% of the population does not carry a driver’s license or other state photo ID. Most people don’t have passports, and birth certificates are not typically ID people carry either. I have no evidence, but if you’re out of the loop enough not to have a driver’s license, you probably haven’t visited the Sec of State’s office to get yourself a passport.
Jeff B @ 2
Can you direct me to verified claims that the same physical person filled out ballots registered at two addresses? For one thing, it would be nearly impossible for the public to gain this information, since you would almost certainly need birth dates to make the claim that it’s the same person.
I’m really at a loss to understand why so many people on the right are afraid of or averse to absentee/mailed ballots. They work like a dream, save money, and streamline the process IMO. There’s no indication that fraud is a problem in Oregon, which is all-mail.
I assume you mean “zero-balancing” of ballot records, since “reconciliation” is already required before certification. However, the former is simply an impossible logistic goal.
I think it’s extraordinarily presumptuous and elitist to simply assume that because people are poor or homeless, that they have no interest in politics or exercising their franchise. Certainly some are that way, perhaps even more than the public in general–but there are people with college degrees out on the streets, too.
Literacy tests are flatly unconstitutional; end of story.
Ringhofer @ 11
Is there any evidence of aliens voting? The Secretary of State’s office has received ZERO complaints of this. Please tell me you’re not relying on EFF for this information. And in any case–you think aliens don’t have driver’s licenses??
zapporo @ 12
Your comparisons are useless, because they all involve voluntary entry into private venues. Voting is a public, constitutional right.
—–
I don’t get the recommendation for mandatory review and audits of the counties. That’s already in place. What’s needed is funding to allow it to happen–each county is supposed to be reviewed every seven years, but because of budget shortfalls they’re lucky to get it once a decade. You can’t ask for more services from your government, then complain when the bill comes.
The idea of co-certifying 39 counties is window dressing. All it means is that about 35 counties will complete their processes…and then sit on the data until the largest are able to complete theirs. I’m not violently opposed to it, but clearly this is a political recommendation, not a procedural one.
Given the frustration over hand counts and marginal leads, how can you tweak the system closer towards accuracy, without a positive id for each and every voter?
If you have .001% of the voting population, cast their vote without positively identifying them, the margin of error, will still be too great.
We are leaning towards vote by mail in a large way, how will this help?
Not to get off subject, but I’ve heard people talk about using s.s. numbers for id.
If this system worked properly, this would be a great idea.
The problem is, there is currently $475 billion dollars being held in a fund, resulting from the thousands of social security numbers currently in use, by people falsifying their identity.
The federal gov’t has no intention of notifying the legal owners of these s.s. numbers, nor do they have any real intention, of stopping the activity, as it has given them almost a 1/2 trillion dollars without raising taxes.
How about looking into this problem, and the results will be three fold.
1. We will have positive id. 2. We will apply this money to the general s.s. fund, and fix some of the shortfall, as this money otherwise needs a home.;) 3. We will root out a large number of illegal aliens currently skirting the radar.
zapporo @12
Agreed.
STOLEN ELECTIONS [950 words]
The 2004 Governor’s election was STOLEN by up to 136,000 Illegal Aliens registered to vote in our 39 counties. In fact, Maria Cantdoitwell lost the election to Slade Gorton. The Seattle Monorail actually FAILED, not passed. All the stadium measures that passed, failed. School levies that passed by small margins all failed, and … Rossi actually won by 1,000’s of votes, not lost by 129 votes.
The Secretary of State who has gone around the state in town hall meetings admitted the debacle and botched election NEVER filed any narrative with the election returns making such an assertion. By law, he is required to file such narratives, and didn’t.
The SOS has been required to weed out the illegal voters for years by getting the information from the INS. He didn’t.
136,000 Illegal Aliens have been issued drivers licenses and most registered to vote. These illegal aliens should not be protected: they should be prosecuted and removed from the voter’s lists. Major measures and elections in the past 6-10 years ALL need to be re-voted on once the state weeds out all of the illegal aliens from voter rolls.
The IRS reports that 136,000 taxpayers have not filed for their $500-$1500 tax refunds for 2001, 2002 and 2003. Hello? What does this say, folks?
The IRS says, “In many cases, the refunds amount to significantly more than small change. Half of those expecting refunds are entitled to more than $520, according to a spokesman for the IRS in Seattle. In Washington state alone, the overdue refunds amount to more than $58 million.”
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/.....nds09.html
With up to 136,000 potential illegal aliens registered illegally to vote, even if a few thousand of the 136,000 people who have failed for three years to file for small tax refunds turn up to be registered voters, such a discovery will clearly question why the Secretary of State with its resources has done nothing to weed out people who have no right to register, to vote, and ought to face legal prosecution for having violated any number of laws.
http://www.recallreedblog.blogspot.com called the Fraud Line for the IRS on 02/09/05, and talked with Miss Sharp, #0700520, from 8:15AM to 8:45AM. Bottom line is they have the names and addresses, but IRS Code 6103 prohibits them from releasing it. Her # is 1-800-829-0433.
The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) estimated in February 2003 that the number of illegal aliens in Washington had risen to about 136,000 residents. That is more than double the previous INS estimate of 52,000 illegal aliens resident in the state as of October 1996.
http://www.fairus.org/Research.....4&c=9
Incarceration costs for FY 2004 were estimated to be $4,300,435. Medical Costs for Illegal Aliens in our state are estimated by the INS to be $3,243,181.
Over 136,000 illegal aliens are living in Washington, estimates the Migration Policy Institute. [1] This is an increase of 48,000, or 92 percent, since 1996 and an increase of 70,000 or 233 percent, since 1992.
http://www.fairus.org/Research.....3&c=9
1. Jeffrey Passel, “New Estimates of the Undocumented Population in the United States,” Migration Information Source, May 22, 2002.
The Children’s Alliance estimates that as many as 23,000 illegal alien children under the age of 18 live in the state. [2]
2. Kate Riley, “Fouled-Up System Victimizes Worthy Immigrant Students,” Seattle Times, July 15, 2002.
Washington authorities requested $37.5 million in compensation from the federal government in FY’99 for the incarceration of illegal aliens in state and local jails and prisons, but it received only $14.4 million, leaving $23 million in uncompensated costs to be borne by Washington taxpayers.
http://www.recallreed.blogspot.com contacted a number of organizations concerning the illegal aliens voting. One of many responses we received is as follows:
“Thanks for writing. I suspect that all of those “taxpayers” ARE illegal. If they have social security numbers, they can be easily checked. Many probably are using numbers issued to real alive American citizens. The state Attorney General should get involved, locate and prosecute.
John M Morganelli
USA Political Action Committee
PO Box 1426
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18016-1426
Email: BD3301@netscape.net
Website: http://www.usapac.us
[District Attorney John M Morganelli is the elected District Attorney of Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Morganelli is a 4 term DA, and Past President of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association. He is a straight talking, no nonsense, and tough on crime, District Attorney. He believes that illegal immigration is one of the most important crime and security issues facing the U.S. He has appeared on national television shows like CNN’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight” and Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor” because of his aggressive position on illegal immigration. He is against the issuance of driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. He does not recognize the legitimacy of the matricular consular card issued by the Mexican government and other foreign id cards.]
What has the Attorney General’s office and the Secretary of State’s Office done to rectify this situation?
It is common knowledge that illegal aliens in Washington state can “easily” get their social security card — as a stepping stone to get a job — a driver’s license — other identification — and a voter registration card.
It is a matter of routine, when applying for a driver’s license, for Department of Motor Vehicle employees [DMV] to ask the applicant if they would like to register to vote.
Armed with a free voter registration card, the illegal alien continues to legitimize their status.
Lots depend on this, not to mention homeland security. There are at least 1.7 million such taxpayers. The INS says there are ten times that many in our country.
As many as half are likely to be illegal aliens who for years have decided close elections, and this will be the first time they are identified.
I had to show my driver’s license at the precinct table. I actually thought it was mandatory. Or is that a county thing?
I see no problem with provisional ballots if you have no ID. Why is that such an imposition on the voter as they still get to vote?
The statewide data base is the one thing that must be implemented. A faster, more efficient method of verifying voter eligability would take the heat off of both the state officials and voters.
Joe@18 Great points and I did not know about the 6-7% of people without ID. I for one am not willing to automatically disenfranchise several hundred thousand people at the stroke of a pen. But I suppose our elitist friends who what to bring back segregation tactics wouldn’t mind. What is next? The Alabama ‘voucher’ system?
Davis @21 But remember – the most important thing here is not to fix the system, but to harp on the problems of the last election until Dino gets to put up his curtains in the gov’s mansion!
That may be true Nindid…certainly a lot more entertaining it appears! ;0
Micajah has suggested that all signatures on absentee ballots be notarized by a notary public to verify the authenticity of the signer. You have to present ID to the notary before they’l notarize your signature.
I’m curious why the GOP hasn’t proposed that verification for absentees, since most ballots are now cast absentee. LOL! If there is a need to verify ID at polling places, why not for absentees. I’ve always been dubious about the signature checks since it is so easy to forge a signature, and since my own signature has changed so much over time. Granted it will impose a little (large) burden on voters which may diminish turnout.
But is there any evidence at all, that ineligeble voters voted using improper ID or who weren’t who they purported to be?
I think most of the proposals sound totally reasonable. What I’d really like to see is an all-vote-by mail system (a la Oregon), with all the ballots delivered to one or two central collection places. The best way I can see to improve on that system is to make it possible to print your ballot on a computer at home (sent in using the special envelope you already get, to eliminate the chance of duplicate ballots being sent in).
I think these two ideas would also solve many of the Republicans’ and Democrats’ concerns.
1) If we have a central database it would be easier to get rid of the non-voters, dead people, etc).
2) Eliminates any issues around the ID requirement (it’s all done at the front-end before you send out the envelope), “little old ladies†writing down the wrong line in the poll book, etc.
3) Less divining of voter intent if the ballot is printed by computer. No stray marks, no over votes, no unintentional under votes, no scrawl-in write-in candidates.
4) No polling places – fewer “little old ladies†writing down the wrong thing in the poll books, no long lines, no provisional ballot issues, etc.
5) Any improvements that were made to the system, whether for better security or better access) would benefit everyone (since there’s only one type of ballot/counting procedure).
6) This system also avoids some of the more thorny issues with “true†electronic voting.
The short of it is basically all-vote-by-mail, statewide databases, single state-wide ballot and vote counting standards and electronically printed ballots (but hand-signed and mailed in). Seems like a simple, logical set of steps in addition to what’s been proposed in the legislature. 70% of people vote-by-mail already, and it’s only growing.
Mr. X @ 5, Randy Newman is still very much alive.
Michael at 28
Oh my, you’re right. I got him confused with Warren Zevon – apologies to Randy – live long and prosper.
However, the post I referred to shows he’s alive in spririt as well as body…
jcricket…who’s going to print off the ballot my dad, an avowed dark ages soul, will use?
I like going to the polls. It’s rather a social thing. I could see the all mail vote if it eliminated a layer of potential confusion though.
I don’t like the idea of leaving it up to the dumber than rocks voter base to print their own. Way to many ways they could screw that up. ;0
I’m not talking about literally printing your own (like you write it up in Word). I’m talking about filling out a form on a web site (as many times as you want) and then printing it. UPS lets you ship things online and print out a barcoded + human readable mailing label. Something similar to that is what I imagine. That way the ovals would be perfectly filled in, no stray marks, no accidental double/over-votes, no unintentional under-votes, etc.
If you made it that simple, it could be printed from anywhere – the state could even set up kiosks in places like libraries, post offices, etc. You’d still have the envelope (only one mailed out per voter) as control over voter fraud.
70% of people vote absentee already, and that number will probably increase around 5-10% over the next decade. At a certain point we’re maintaining a very complex polling-place-based infraustructure for a decreasing percentage of the population.
I think Oregon has had much success with all-vote-by-mail, and that seems like an example to follow.
I don’t like the idea of leaving it up to the dumber than rocks voter base to print their own. Way to many ways they could screw that up. ;0
I just wanted to make it clear that I was talking about having the web site (or kiosk) spit out your filled-in ballot (in human readable form) for you. It could be done at any machine with a printer and web access. Just make sure it uses SSL and doesn’t store any personally identifiable information (yes, I know, this is over-simplifying a bit).
Peoples inability to properly fill out a ballot now (poorly shaded ovals, stray marks, over-votes, illegally scrawled write-ins, etc.) are already a result of many voting “errors”. Having a machine essentially generate a “perfect” ballot, based on your votes, would fix a lot of that.
This isn’t the same as federal write-in ballots that military folks get (where they basically just write up the ballot on their own).
I should have saved my George Bernard Shaw quote (previous post @ 7) for this one. The proposal for photo ID, as Goldy says, looks like a solution to a non-existent problem. As others have pointed out, 2/3 of voters vote absentee, with that percentage likely to increase. It sounds innocuous and reasonable–just flash your photo-ID or vote provisional if you don’t have a photo-ID with you. But anything which slows down the process increases the waiting time to vote, and waiting time to vote is a deterence to voting (and an additional potential cause for confrontation between a voter and a poll-worker). This seems, as someone else noted about simultaneous certification by counties, as pseudo reform which will do nothing to improve matters and could make things worse. Moving the primary back by four weeks would give election workers more time to mail out absentees and so on, but would also put the primary smackdab in the middle of August, not a time likely to result in high turnout. A spring primary might be better for the voters, but I believe the political parties object to that, for reasons I’ve forgotten.
Jeff @ 2
Most people believe that an informed citizenry is the key to a healthy democracy, while at the same time knowing that the ignorant and uninformed vote in sizable numbers. I wouldn’t be too hard on Jeff for making his “test” proposal. At least he has the courage to state his opinion openly. Others, IMO less honestly, try surreptitously to achieve the same end by making it difficult for certain segments of the population to vote. My counsel to Jeff is, be consoled by the likelihood that the ignorant and the uninformed from each side of a question, cancel each other at the ballot box; and that in a two-party system, even a random fly speck that shows up as a vote has a 50% chance of being for the best candidate.
Jeff@2. The public claims they can not trust their own goverment and in turn, the government claims can not trust the public. Both claims are true only to an extent and both claims are false only to an extent. Humans have plundered raped and stole whether in private capacity, public capacity or in official capacity. The moral to the story is, either you have integrity, morals and ethics or you don’t. They have not found a cure yet for human weaknesses. The BTK killer attended church, worked for the City. Even Mafia members attended church. Even hypocrites attend church. Now the claim is we can not even trust voters. Besides that, we can’t even trust who we vote for. The reason wolves are hard to separate from the sheep is they are your friendly neighbor, your best friend, your school teacher, your favorite preacher, your mayor, your Pop King ect ect ect. It would be fair to say, noone really knows anyone.
RDC@33.
One would have to admit voters know less about who they vote for than they know about themself. Voting is a pig in a poke. We assume a lot. Maybe a lie detector should be run on all candidates seeeking office. Afterall with all the public distrust of government and the goverment and public’s distrust of voters, who can we trust to tell the truth. As for Id when voting, first ave. in Seattle can make ya some six days a week.
TJ @18 – Voting is a public, constitutional right.ng becomes an abrrograted constitutional right when the will of legal voters is subverted by non-citizen, dead, felon, and non-existent voters. This is the very reason this country was founded – taxation without representation. Wanting an equitable, clean, well guarded election system is not right wing – it’s middle America Patriotic. Stop arguing about this election and start thinking about our future.
The Iraqi electorate was registered to vote in less than 45 days. Why would anyone reasonably object to cleaning the rolls to restore confidence in the system? And periodically do so to keep it clean? Or ask someone to show ID? Ok, no ID, you get a provisional ballot and democracy marches on. Or eliminate absentee voting? Any reasonable person would trade that convenience in a heartbeat to safeguard freedom. That would truly be a small sacrifice.
(Especially if it keeps a lid on the number of Portland residents voting in King County elections )
Or eliminate absentee voting? Any reasonable person would trade that convenience in a heartbeat to safeguard freedom. That would truly be a small sacrifice.
You’re kidding right? When 70% of the electorate votes absentee (an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, from what I understand), you’re going to claim this? That’s a ridiculous statement with no basis in fact. But go ahead, try and take away absentee voting, see how far you get with both sides of the political aisle.
jcricket @37 – Several Iraqi-eligible voters drove all the way to California, not once but twice to register and then vote in the Iraqi election. Our culture is far too indolent if one hour on one day each year is too much to ask.
I am not against absentee voting per se, but if that’s what it takes to ensure that we have clean elections, I would be willing to vote in person.
I am certainly open to listening to your suggestions as to how we ensure that elections are fairly, cleanly conducted and that enfranchised voters have some assurance that their votes will count.
zaporro@38. You got it! Those who have lost their freedom deeply appreciate having it. Americans, and that includes me too, take far too much for granted. Living in the lap of luxery, drinking lattes, driving the BMW with kid gloves and droppng of the kids at day care have lulled us to sleep in the deep. We are in deep doo-doo. Many park illegally in handicap stalls at the mall so not to have to walk so far to the front door of Walmart to shop out of housewife boredom. When your dodgeing bullets and running for your life in Iraq, none of these things mean a tinker’s dam. Americans need to get off their fat McDonald’s ass and high horse and walk a mile in an Iraqian’s shoes. American’s parent’s parents walked miles to town, school and to vote and we groan about traffic congestion while gliding on cruise control, sipping our triple shot foaming latte and listening to Kozy radio selections. How posh can it be?