Do we need a new voting deadline?
14 November 2009 | By dillon-kgmi in UncategorizedGovernor Gregoire thinks the state needs an earlier deadline for mail-in ballots, since close races can remain unresolved days after Election Day.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010237920_webvoting09.html
Isn’t Election Day purely arbitrary, anyway? What difference would it make to impose an earlier, yet similarly arbitrary deadline? Ballots have to be counted, either way. Someone wins, someone loses, either way. She says ‘The people deserve to know’… why?
Is the apparent right of state citizens to know voting results so important that we should risk confusing voters on when they need to get their ballots in? If we add another deadline, it simply makes the actual Election Day moot for mail-in voters. Essentially, all of us mail-in people would have a new ‘Election Day’, and then we’d have to wait just as long as we do now to hear the results. The only difference I see is that we’d be getting our results the same day that everyone else in the country has their voting deadline.
The governor’s push poses too many risks for the relatively insignificant benefit it promises.
14 November 2009 | Maverick Said:
I can see the desire of our current governor to have prompt results after any election. The sooner the initial ballot results are in, the sooner they can start “recounting” and “recounting” votes until the “proper” candidate wins.
But seriously now…
Of all people I would have thought Gov. Gregoire would value an accurate and voter-friendly approach to elections rather than an expidited one. I don’t understand the motive to possibly further complicate the voting process for no reason other than to satisfy the curiosity of the impatient.
19 November 2009 | Peter Said:
Doesn’t Gregoire have more important matters to take up her time?
23 November 2009 | Tim Daniels Said:
I’d vote for elimination of mail-in ballots for all but active duty military. Everything else, especially mail-in ballots, is too susceptible to fraud and corruption. Such measures are just gifts to groups like ACORN.
Voting should happen on a particular day. I learned my lesson after voting for Romney in the primaries–just before he dropped his bid. If mail-in ballots are to stay with us, they should require a post-mark no more than two days prior and no days after election day.
Here’s wishing for purple ink on the index finger!!
14 December 2009 | BarnCat Said:
Gargoyle, whoops, Grigoire’s a disappointment anyway. Her recent stance on Basic Health should pretty much tell folks which colors she’s really flying. The Reptilian ones.
16 December 2009 | Dirty white boy Said:
Dillon, nothing about this blog but I really like your take on issues. Keep up the good work, I love to listen to you on PM bham, interject a little humor and your show would really rock!
29 January 2010 | Molly Crocker Said:
I second Tim! For the last several elections we’ve gotten ballots for a child who has since married AND REGISTERED TO VOTE ELSEWHERE IN THIS STATE! Seems that nothing about the voter registration process asks the question “Are you currently registered to vote elsewhere in this or another state?” She presumed that registering elsewhere would un-register her here. It most obviously did not!
We should return to polling places and make sure folks show up!