The Dead Vote

[Dru]

The Dead Vote

Millions of Americans are taking advantage of early voting this year, including some voters who have died by Election Day. In Florida alone, 1.8 million people voted early -- and on average, 455 voting-age people die there each day. In several states, early votes cast by those who die before Election Day are considered valid votes. Even in states that don't officially count them, these "ghost" votes may be counted, as the ballots are often impossible to retrieve because most in-person early voting is done on machines with no paper trail. Plus, election officials may not get word that voters have died. Gripes a Pennsylvania secretary of state spokesman, "How the heck is the county supposed to know if an absentee voter has died?"

-- Jenny McKeel

[catbirdseat]

I think that absentee voting sucks. It ought to be outlawed. You either get your fat ass to the polls or you don't vote.

[Stefan]

I think that absentee voting sucks. It ought to be outlawed. You either get your fat ass to the polls or you don't vote.

 

And what about those of us who have to have to travel for work?

 

What about those citizens who married a Parisian hottie and living in Paris?

 

What about armed service personnel living abroad?

 

I like the absentee voting. It takes one less person out of a car and using gas.

[scott_harpell]

I think that absentee voting sucks. It ought to be outlawed. You either get your fat ass to the polls or you don't vote.

 

quit trying to take away my vote!

[Jim]

FLORIDA TO DECIDE ELECTION BY SHOW OF HANDS

State Loses Instruction Manual for Electronic Voting Machines

 

Attempting to head off the kind of voting irregularities that threw the 2000

election into chaos, Florida voting officials announced today that the

state's presidential contest would be determined by a "show of hands."

 

In a statewide address broadcast on live television this morning, Florida

Secretary of State Glenda Hood instructed all Florida voters to start

heading for a vacant trailer park on the outskirts of Tampa where the

official show of hands will take place.

 

While acknowledging that a show of hands was an unorthodox way for Florida

to determine who will receive the state's twenty-seven electoral votes, Ms.

Hood said the move became necessary after it was discovered late last week

that the state had lost the instruction manual for its controversial Diebold

electronic voting machines.

 

An early test of the machines last Wednesday set off alarms among voting

officials when the electronic tally showed conservative commentator Pat

Buchanan winning the state with 87% of the vote, despite not appearing on

the ballot.

 

"After searching for the instruction manual, we moved on to Plan B, which

was to operate the voting machines with a hand-crank," Secretary of State

Hood said. "But then nobody could find the crank."

 

Florida Governor Jeb Bush said the show-of-hands method should not shake

Floridians' confidence in the accuracy of the returns, saying, "We will keep

counting hands until we get the result we want."

 

Elsewhere, Osama bin Laden lashed out at American broadcast networks for

failing to air the final sentence of his tape last Friday, which was: "I'm

Osama bin Laden, and I approve this message."

[selkirk]

quite whining. Just because you forgot to sign up for it and have to get your ass down to the poling station and stand in line in the rain, while Scott and I are sitting warm and dry....

[scott_harpell]

quite whining. Just because you forgot to sign up for it and have to get your ass down to the poling station and stand in line in the rain, while Scott and I are sitting warm and dry....

 

[Dru]

in other news, Will Gadd says "Dump Bush"

 

http://gravsports.com/Ice%20Pages%20Folder/04_05_Ice_conditions/04_05_Ice_conditions.htm

[catbirdseat]

quite whining. Just because you forgot to sign up for it and have to get your ass down to the poling station and stand in line in the rain, while Scott and I are sitting warm and dry....

The reason I don't like absentee voting is that it makes the election a strung out affair. The people who cast their votes on election day (or mail their absentee ballots on that day) have up to date information with which to make their decision. In this case, I don't think any new information has been revealed, but it does sometimes happen.

[scott_harpell]

So... the rest jsut shouldn't vote then?

[selkirk]

I mailed mine off on monday and new who I was going to vote for 6 months ago... your point is....????

[RobBob]

I mailed mine off on monday and new who I was going to vote for 6 months ago... your point is....????

 

You spell like Dan Quayle.

 

The fact of the matter is that there has always been a mechanism for those living abroad to vote by absentee. I think that within a few years, independent thinkers will agree that absentee voting has led to more-widespread fraud than previously existed.

 

I thought this was going to be a thread about the old Democratic trick of enrolling folks in the graveyard.

[selkirk]

Is spelling the best you can do? As usual, insulting people is pointless argument tactic meant to discredit the individual on issues completely unrelated to the argument at hand. If your arguments don't stand sufficiently on their own, then the insults, and slanders come out. If your arguments can't stand on their own then that's your own problem....

 

I think in the grand scheme of elections the amount of fraud by absentee ballots in the country is probably minimal. Especially when considered with respect to partisan redefining of districts, the current necessity of the electoral college as opposed to a popular vote, or the current problems with the electronic voting systems even if they are an improvement(which is questionable) over paper ballots and the famous "hanging chad" issue.

 

Absentee allows people who may otherwise not vote to guarantee they vote, and guarantee the privacy of their votes, in light of the partisan groups that actually operate poling stations.

 

We don't even need to get started on the potential for indimidation tactics by the Republican party by challenging voters at the poles.

Ohio Challenges or the concern in Florida over intimidation tactics.

Story 1

Story 2

 

[graupel]

The Dead Vote

 

That is why I turned around my absentee ballot as soon as I got it. If I got hit by a bus, at least my vote got into the system.

[cwacked]

I think that absentee voting sucks. It ought to be outlawed. You either get your fat ass to the polls or you don't vote.

 

Hi, I'm catbirdseat, and I'm an idiot!

[RobBob]

Is spelling the best you can do? As usual, insulting people is pointless argument tactic meant to discredit the individual on issues completely unrelated to the argument at hand. If your arguments don't stand sufficiently on their own, then the insults, and slanders come out. If your arguments can't stand on their own then that's your own problem....

 

What has happened to this place? Two years ago, any political thread was rife with humor, insults, jabs, and good fun. It was populated with a bunch of people who purported to have wildly differing mindsets, and honking the noses of the opinionated was the norm. Spray was rollicking, insulting, relatively-self-censored and a damn good time, like an all-day beer party.

 

Now, thanks to a pogrom that has run off a large share of the catalysts and the funniest people who used to post here, a "spray style" handbook and a placement at the bottom of the page, this place sucks. You people are about as tolerant as Mattp and Allison at a NARAL meeting. 95% of you have the same politics and you'd like to make it 100%. You don't realize that it's no fun all having the same opinion...until it's all over and the thing sucks the way this place now does.

 

Hell, I voted today and I abstained on the presidential ballot. I'm registered as an independent. But you bunch of tools are so far left that you've convinced yourselves that anybody who doesn't think just like you is a wild-eyed Republican. Fuck you you if you can't take a joke. I'm done with it.

[Jim]

I think you need to go here:

 

http://www.ascensionist.com/

[iain]

Is spelling the best you can do? As usual, insulting people is pointless argument tactic meant to discredit the individual on issues completely unrelated to the argument at hand. If your arguments don't stand sufficiently on their own, then the insults, and slanders come out. If your arguments can't stand on their own then that's your own problem....

 

ad hominem would replace this entire paragraph. It's harpell's favorite mis(used/spelled) phrase!

[iain]

indimidation tactics by the Republican party by challenging voters at the poles.

 

intimidation, polls.

 

A choice adjective before Republican party might give this phrase a bit more kick.

 

JUST KIDDING!

[chucK]

RobBob dude, you're leaving at the worst time. If you just stick around for a month you'll be able to bitch about every negative event and how it's all caused by the Kerry Kabal.

 

How fun will it be to be able to effortlessly troll get 3 people giving reasoned explanations about why Kerry kan't be blamed for the kurrent hurrikane devastation in FLA without hardly moving a finger?

 

Kwitter.

[RobBob]

Chuckie, once again, I'm a registered independent who abstained because I couldn't stand the thought of supporting either of these candidates. But to truly be in the middle is to default yourself into being a foil for the left at cc.com.

 

Jim, the problem with ascensionist.com is that it's the 100% reverse: It's like Hee Haw over there...they are lying around barefoot on the front porch, bored to tears with each other...one's sighting his rifle, another's reading the Turner Diaries, while another spews pornographic vitriol over anything that isn't right-wing ideology. At least they DO have a sense of humor for the most part, but they need to be leavened with a few of you here that still have a little sense of humor left in your souls.

[Dru]

I want to hear more about these Republicans challenging people at the poles . I wonder if they used the Dr. Cook method of getting there

[RobBob]

okay, selkirk and I kissed and made up. It was all a big misunderstanding and we promised to leave each others' mommas alone. but I meant what I said about running all the opposing avatars and opinions away. It's starting to sound like the sound of one hand clapping.

[ScottP]

quite whining. Just because you forgot to sign up for it and have to get your ass down to the poling station and stand in line in the rain, while Scott and I are sitting warm and dry....

The reason I don't like absentee voting is that it makes the election a strung out affair. The people who cast their votes on election day (or mail their absentee ballots on that day) have up to date information with which to make their decision. In this case, I don't think any new information has been revealed, but it does sometimes happen.

 

Nice backpedal: A combination of cheap logic and unveiled pining for instant gratification.

[ChrisT]

I for one feel much safer for not being stalked by the likes of trask and GregW although there was no one funnier than Caveman - R.I.P.