National Election predictions

[we vs us]

Voting should require some responsibility.

I zeroed in on this like nathan did.  There's a reason that there's no bar to exercising the franchise.  It's the most essential form of speech in our country, and all of our speech is free.   

[Conan71]

I zeroed in on this like nathan did.  There's a reason that there's no bar to exercising the franchise.  It's the most essential form of speech in our country, and all of our speech is free.   

No, I'm approaching this more from a stand point that it's a responsibility to vote, it shouldn't be dumbed down and made so convenient to the point it encourages fraud.  That's one reason I don't like mail in balloting with the exception of those serving in the military. 

[Townsend]

  That's one reason I don't like mail in balloting with the exception of those serving in the military. 

What if you're away on business for several months?  I'd be pissed if that took my right to vote away.

[Hoss]

No, I'm approaching this more from a stand point that it's a responsibility to vote, it shouldn't be dumbed down and made so convenient to the point it encourages fraud.  That's one reason I don't like mail in balloting with the exception of those serving in the military.  

Really?  How about people who are physically unable to drive to the polling place, or their condition is as such that it makes it quite difficult to do so (absentee/mail in balloting)?

My mother does this.  Is that a suitable exception?  There are times when I can't take her to the ballots, but she prefers mailing them in anyway.

It's also difficult to for her to walk long distances.  Does this make her a second class citizen?

It just burns me when people assume that just because you vote absentee means you're trying to job the system (before you get all in a tiff Conan, that burn is not directed toward you, but I have heard people say similar...'if you're not in the military you should be required to be present when voting').

Grrrrr....

[heironymouspasparagus]

I'm out of town regularly - including this election - and I vote by mail regularly.

Sounds like a desire for the continuation of the Murdoch/Rove doctrine of voter disenfranchisement started in a big way in 2000.

[Conan71]

Hoss, I actually thought about your mother as I was writing that. You didn't ruffle my feathers, I understand your situation. I said I don't like mail in balloting but certainly I can see where it's a matter of convenience bordering on necessity in situations like your mother's.

I start getting worried though when party leaders are encouraging more people to mail vote. What's their reasoning for this, if they don't see some sort of advantage to it? I think it's ripe for corruption. It makes me uneasy when you hear a statement like: "the secretary of state is holding 3000 mail in ballots".  I also don't like 100% paperless balloting.

Not sure why it bothers me so much must be the radiation the black helicopters are beaming into my house.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Biggest danger we have to worry about now is the election board plans to replace the ballot counting machines we have now.  We have a great system that I fully expect to be completely destroyed.