Voting-Absentee Ballot Question-it was my perception in the

[liveoaktx]

last election that it was not a good thing to vote absentee because in lot of instances those votes weren't even counted. In other words, I remember being concerned and hearing that the tactic to fight the black box voting machines was to do a paper absentee ballot... but that was thwarted due to absentee ballots not being counted.

True? What's the stance on absentee ballot voting now?

[katmondoo]

1. I had the same feeling too

This year I will vote on election day not before

[Leeny]

4. Do both

You can vote on election day AND vote absentee, at least in California. You just drop off your absentee ballot - signed and sealed - at the polling place on election day. They just put it right in the box.

I've been voting absentee for about 10 years now. Started doing it because I was always walking precincts and getting out the vote on election day, so I sent my absentee in ahead of time. Then it was because of convenience and I like filling out my ballot slowly, over a cup of coffee, at my table. Finally, with Diebold being certified in CA, I will always vote absentee. I may be neurotic, but I make a copy of it before I drop it in the ballot box on election day. I still go to the poll on election day to drop it off because I take my kids with me so they can start learning about the process.

[wakeme2008]

2. A lot of BS

I only vote absentee because I will not use Touchscreens and a lot of Repugs are voting absentee. If you look at all the new "id" laws in the states, all make absentee easier because the Repugs push it.

[Pirate Smile]

3. One problem with absentee ballots (which were pushed big in

Iowa the past few elections - the absentee ballots had been what won many races for Dems) is that there are more hoops to jump through to have the vote counted.

Multiple envelopes must be filled out on the outside and sealed. If anything isn't filled out perfectly, the vote is tossed.

I think we had a lot of votes tossed out in 2004. People sealed the outside envelope but not the inside one, people didn't fill out every line or check all the boxes.

:-(

[napi21]

5. I have a different problem with absentee voting.

At least here in Ga. the absentee votes are manually entered into a touch screen voting machine by somebody at the poll. I was quite surprised when I went to vote in the last election that there were 4 or 5 people with a voting machine on their desk, entering stacks of absentee ballots.

To me, it destroys the idea of voting absentee, because your vote could be altered in that machine tabulation anyway.

[wakeme2008]

7. That is really scarely

If a Repug is entering in Absentee votes, it could be one for you two for me and who would know.

[napi21]

8. Yes, and the other thing was, at least one desk was right beside where I

was waiting in line to vote. The stack of absentee ballots were sitting on the desk where I could read the name of the voter and see how they voted. I realize I only saw a hand full of different votes, as the clerk removed each one for entry, but that sure seemed like a violation of the secret ballot to me!

[Leeny]

6. One more thing

Forgot one more thing... we used absentees as a tactic to reduce the amount of get-out-the-vote walking/phoning to do on election day. We would get the identified supporters to vote absentee and then we knew those votes were in the bank. They we only had to go to the soft support and undecided. We didn't waste time on election day walking to doors where people who were going to vote our way anyhow, because they'd already voted.

We even went to the extent one year of walking pre-printed absentee applications door to door. Then, if they wanted an absentee ballot, all they had to do was sign the application and then we mailed it for them - paid the postage. I worked really well. Of course it works best when you're preaching to the choir...

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. Absentee voting is BAD!

The Repugs have made it as easy as possible to vote absentee because it is one of their favorite places to collect votes. They cheated in assorted ways all over the country. Everything from stealing absentee ballots from mailboxes and then sending them in for people, to going door to door in poor neighborhoods and 'helping' people vote. They especially like to 'help' illiterate people. We're talking, filling out the ballot for them, then they get the person to sign the ballot and in the meantime that person has no clue if the ballot was filled out the way they intended.

In FL in 2004, BUSH WON THE ABSENTEE vote. KERRY WON THE EARLY VOTE.

People need to get of their butts and vote in person with pen and paper. It's the only way to vote.

[wakeme2008]

10. I will only vote absentee if the other choice is TS

sorry just the way I feel.