There are a couple of reasons I think that early voting is a bad idea. If during the Civil War when Lincoln was running for re-election there had been early voting people would have voted before the victory at Atlanta and McClellan might have won the Presidency. So my first objection is that we should all be voting at the same time so we all have access to the same information.
My second objection is that everyone voting together is one of the tiny and fragile acts that makes us feel united as a people. Election day should be a day. Doing it together is an important part of that experience.
Now of course there have to be exceptions for the infirm, the aged and those who are traveling but on the whole election day should be a day. Not five weeks like in some states.
For instance what if a hostile nation attack one of our allies with nuclear weapons just a few days before an election. The thirty or forty million people who had already voted would not be able to put that data into their choice.
I am in favor of electronic voting as it becomes feasible and safe. I generally oppose initiatives but these are both subjects for another post.
The photo is the Space X launch from Vandenburg AFB last Thursday.
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That’s easy instead of early voting lets allow late voting for a week or so– Every candidate knows when early voting starts and if they have an important message to get out — they know the timing . I have a friend who is on a cruise in Europe now and if it were not for early voting– he would have had to make a choice between his vacation and to vote.. Also have you looked at the ballot — I challenge you to take out a stop watch and your ballot and (since I know you are not going to fill it out until election day) and see how long it takes you to make the decisions you want to make to fill out the ballot.. Now multiply that by the number of people who will have to show up at the polls on election day here in AZ– People will be standing in that line for hours, maybe days — But maybe thats OK with you. Or do you want to close the polls at midnight on election day- so that everyone votes on the same day (and if you come to the front of the line at 12:01 tough bounce for you. You could argue that lets have more poling places and poll workers– Good luck, in this environment, getting enough poll workers.
And if you still want it to be a day– then lets make it a national holiday so everyone is avail for the entire 24 hour period to be off work– Did you – or would you give every person the day off at your work place to go to the polls– and would you have paid them for that day (or make them take it out of their own pockets)
And re your Lincoln analogy– any event that you describe is on the news instantaneously– what if what you describe happens ON election day or the day after– There goes that theory. Maybe the election should have been held the day after Roe vs Wade was overturned– Is that the kind of event that you mean?
I challenge you to turn on the stopwatch on your phone– the minute you get out of your car (or leave your home) to go to the polls and turn it off when you leave the polls and then let me know how long that took you and how acceptable that is to you
If it needs to be a holiday and we need more polls, electronic or simpler ballot okay. I am just expressing a wish to have the election on a scheduled day. In order to make it fairer and to build community. The purpose is to make it possible for everyone who want to to vote on or near Election Day.
As too waiting in line I have no experience since my precinct in Phoenix and my former one in Pasadena were bothvote by mail only. So I don’t get the thrill of civic pride I used to get from going to the polling place on Election Day.
In order to have shared freedom we have to have shared responsibility.
Explain, please, how it builds community. Let me know about the relationships you develop while at the polls next Tue
I can explain. It is like the difference between watching a parade and watching a parade on television. Being at the parade with thousands of strangers gives a sense of a shared experience. Concerts do the same thing. I’m saying that the penultimate act of democracy, voting, should be a shared experience. I used to like the little “I have voted.” Stickers that came with the ballot.
What I can’t figure out is your objection to Election Day being more of a day and less a season.