Early voting and absentee ballots

[Ed W]

From the Tulsa County Election Board site:

Early voting (waaay down at the bottom of the page!)

" In-person absentee voting is available on the Friday and Monday before all elections from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. In Federal and State elections, in-person absentee voting is additionally available on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For additional information call the Tulsa County Election Board office at (918) 596-5780."

Absentee ballots

"Absentee ballots by mail may be requested until 5 p.m. on the Wednesday before the election."

Office location and hours

"The Tulsa County Election Board office is located at 555 North Denver, in Tulsa. Our office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday."

http://www.tulsacounty.org/tulsacounty/dynamic.aspx?id=640

This is the "participatory" part of living in a democracy.  I don't care who you want to vote for (well, in truth, I do, but it's not relevant to this thread) but voting is one of your rights, one that I hope you take seriously and I hope you'll exercise it.  Too often our elections are decided by a significant minority of voters when the vast majority don't bother to show up. 

Voting is a right and rights always entail responsibilities. Your responsibility in this or any other election is to vote intelligently.  That means having some idea of the issues and the candidates other than those vying for the presidency.  There are state questions that may be more complex than they appear to be on the surface, and offices at the local, state, and federal levels must be filled.  I won't advocate for or against any in this thread.  Suffice it to say that there's ample commentary elsewhere on this forum, with nearly every viewpoint represented.

Sadly, if you're not already registered it's too late to do so.  But for those of you registered voters, please take this opportunity to make your voice heard by exercising your right to vote.   

[heironymouspasparagus]

I'm gonna call and raise you one...not only is it a right, I feel it is a responsibility.  One that only about half the eligible population participates in.  Shameful!


And I voted today.  (Put the absentee ballot in the mail....)

I was kind of surprised - I was actually able to say 'yes' to one or two things - I guess I am getting mellow in my old age.

[Townsend]

Early Voting For The General Election Underway In Oklahoma

http://www.newson6.com/story/19984038/early-voting-for-the-general-election-underway-in-oklahoma

TULSA, Oklahoma - Early voting for the general election began Friday morning across the state of Oklahoma.  Voters are deciding presidential, congressional, state as well as some county and local races.
County election board offices are open Friday until 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Monday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For a list of county election board offices across the state, go to the Oklahoma Election Board web site.

There was a long line of people waiting to cast their ballots early at the Tulsa County Election board just north of downtown Friday morning. While many election board offices report long lines of early voters, they say once you get to vote the process usually takes only about 10 minutes.

All voters will need to show proof of identification in order to get a ballot

[Gaspar]

Voting is not a right, it is a privilege that not everyone shares. Cherish it and exercise it next week! The future of the Republic is in your hands. This November I am thankful for the beautiful minds that labored to create this great country, and the sacrifices of those who still fight to preserve it.

Above all, understand that rights are not extended to people by governments, they can, however, be violated by governments.  Nowhere does our constitution establish a "right" to vote, though it does extend protections to such.  Voting is a privilege that every eligible American should view as a responsibility.  Part of that responsibility is to be educated on the issues at hand.  You may not be interested in politics, but I guarantee you that politics is interested in you!

"We assert the province of government to be to secure the people in the enjoyment of their unalienable rights. We throw to the winds the old dogma that governments can give rights.

Before governments were organized, no one denies that each individual possessed the right to protect his own life. liberty and property. And when 100 or 1,000,000 people enter into a free government, they do not barter away their natural rights; they simply pledge themselves to protect each other in the enjoyment of them, through prescribed judicial and legislative tribunals. They agree to abandon the methods of brute force in the adjustment of their differences, and adopt those of civilization.

Nor can you find a word in any of the grand documents left us by the fathers that assumes for government the power to create or to confer rights. The Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the constitutions of the several states and the organic laws of the territories, all alike propose to protect the people in the exercise of their God-given rights. Not one of them pretends to bestow rights."

- Susan B. Anthony

[Townsend]

Voting is not a right, it is a privilege that not everyone shares. Cherish it and exercise it next week! The future of the Republic is in your hands. This November I am thankful for the beautiful minds that labored to create this great country, and the sacrifices of those who still fight to preserve it.

Above all, understand that rights are not extended to people by governments, they can, however, be violated by governments.  Nowhere does our constitution establish a "right" to vote, though it does extend protections to such.  Voting is a privilege that every eligible American should view as a responsibility.  Part of that responsibility is to be educated on the issues at hand.  You may not be interested in politics, but I guarantee you that politics is interested in you!

"We assert the province of government to be to secure the people in the enjoyment of their unalienable rights. We throw to the winds the old dogma that governments can give rights.

Before governments were organized, no one denies that each individual possessed the right to protect his own life. liberty and property. And when 100 or 1,000,000 people enter into a free government, they do not barter away their natural rights; they simply pledge themselves to protect each other in the enjoyment of them, through prescribed judicial and legislative tribunals. They agree to abandon the methods of brute force in the adjustment of their differences, and adopt those of civilization.

Nor can you find a word in any of the grand documents left us by the fathers that assumes for government the power to create or to confer rights. The Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the constitutions of the several states and the organic laws of the territories, all alike propose to protect the people in the exercise of their God-given rights. Not one of them pretends to bestow rights."

- Susan B. Anthony

Okay, thanks?

[heironymouspasparagus]

Okay, thanks?

I think we have achieved a watershed event - gaspar is agreeing with the rest of us in what would appear to be a very mainstream manner!  A moment to cherish and enjoy!!

[Townsend]

I think we have achieved a watershed event - gaspar is agreeing with the rest of us in what would appear to be a very mainstream manner!  A moment to cherish and enjoy!!

Not quite.  I'm not sure who he thinks allows him that privilege.  Honestly though, I don't care.  He can have his thoughts about voting, off kilter as they are.

[Hoss]

Voting is not a right, it is a privilege that not everyone shares. Cherish it and exercise it next week! The future of the Republic is in your hands. This November I am thankful for the beautiful minds that labored to create this great country, and the sacrifices of those who still fight to preserve it.

Above all, understand that rights are not extended to people by governments, they can, however, be violated by governments.  Nowhere does our constitution establish a "right" to vote, though it does extend protections to such.  Voting is a privilege that every eligible American should view as a responsibility.  Part of that responsibility is to be educated on the issues at hand.  You may not be interested in politics, but I guarantee you that politics is interested in you!

"We assert the province of government to be to secure the people in the enjoyment of their unalienable rights. We throw to the winds the old dogma that governments can give rights.

Before governments were organized, no one denies that each individual possessed the right to protect his own life. liberty and property. And when 100 or 1,000,000 people enter into a free government, they do not barter away their natural rights; they simply pledge themselves to protect each other in the enjoyment of them, through prescribed judicial and legislative tribunals. They agree to abandon the methods of brute force in the adjustment of their differences, and adopt those of civilization.

Nor can you find a word in any of the grand documents left us by the fathers that assumes for government the power to create or to confer rights. The Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the constitutions of the several states and the organic laws of the territories, all alike propose to protect the people in the exercise of their God-given rights. Not one of them pretends to bestow rights."

- Susan B. Anthony

Wow.

Voting is a civic duty...not a privilege.  You make it sound like it must be earned.  In a way, that's correct.  You have earned it by living life up to your 18th year as either a natural born citizen of the US, or naturalized.  No special deed is needed, however, as many see privilege in that way.

Everyone eligible has the right to vote.

[Townsend]

Wow.

Voting is a civic duty...not a privilege.  You make it sound like it must be earned.  In a way, that's correct.  You have earned it by living life up to your 18th year as either a natural born citizen of the US, or naturalized.  No special deed is needed, however, as many see privilege in that way.

Everyone eligible has the right to vote.

Shhh, he'll think you're trying to converse dammit.

[nathanm]

Wow.

Wow indeed.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Today...now...in this time and place, there is the largest eligible number of groups allowed to vote.  Has not always been the case, so what is a "right" today was effectively only a privilege as few as about 50 years ago (see Voting Rights Act of 1965).

And before that, the limits were even tighter.  No Chinese were allowed to vote.  No Irish.  No African Americans.  No Native Americans.  No women (well, that one may not have been so bad.....lol...   Ok, ok...I'm KIDDING!!)

White guys with property were pretty much it.  Has been a motley past.  And NOW, thanks to all those "progressive" ideas and efforts that the MurdochianEvilClownFantasyWorld.com is pushing us so hard to not only abandon, but actively reverse, we have actually stalled along some human rights fronts (think slow progress at allowing gays to enjoy the same marriage-torture-machine as non-gays). 

I have even started hearing commentary from acquaintances who seriously advocate the idea of going back to the case of requiring property ownership to be allowed to vote.  Seriously.  Watch closely, this lunatic fringe element may just get some traction, especially if Obama is re-elected.

[Conan71]

I've voted five times so far today.

[nathanm]

I've voted five times so far today.

I told you voter ID was useless for preventing voter fraud.

[Conan71]

I told you voter ID was useless for preventing voter fraud.

I know, I know.  I just had to see for myself.  We had to make a whirlwind trip to Colorado and back between Monday & Weds.  The thought had occurred to me that without an ID I could stop in at any number of polling places and tell them "last name 'Smith'" and see how many times I could vote between Denver and Colorado Springs

The presidential campaign ads were definitely in full swing out there.  Interesting to note that in very rural areas in the valleys west of the front range where people live off the grid that Romney/Ryan signs were very prevalent.  I had incorrectly guessed they were all Obama-loving dope smoking hippies.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Teatownclown]

I've voted five times so far today.

Cheater...who'd you vote for?