Beat the Electronic voting machines, vote an ABSENTEE ballot

[mopaul]

I've voted absentee 5 times. I simply write my local voting commission and request an absentee ballot. I simply state that I am disabled, and it is difficult to get to the poles, etc. But there are several, acceptable qualifiers for voting absentee. Like for instance, maybe you are going to be out of town that day and you have no other way to vote. Or you have no transportation, etc. I don't see how they could check to see if you really are going to be absent on voting day or not.

This way, there is at least A PAPER TRAIL. It is actually signed, by you, and dated, so it can't be faked.

Then at least you know your vote wasn't electronically manipulated.

I guess every state handles it differently, but here, there are several reasons why a person might want an absentee ballot.

Another cool thing is, you can vote BEFORE ELECTION DAY. I actually voted for Missouri candidate for governor Mel Carnahan BEFORE HE DIED.
You may remember, he was killed in a plane crash and they left his name on the ballot and he STILL BEAT JOHN ASHCROFT!!...Then Mel's wife took the governor's position by Missouri law. a weird story all the way around, but it shows you how voting absentee was an advantage for me.

[Florida_Geek]

1. That the way I am going in Florida.

[Andy_Stephenson]

2. Read up on the felons in King County Washington

John Elder.

Absentee is marginally safer.

[eissa]

3. Here in CA

anyone can vote absentee. My siblings are not politically active at all, so I filled out absentee voter forms for them and had them sign it. Then I go visit them a few days before election day, see the unfilled ballot and then help them fill it out. Works like a charm!

[Greyskye]

4. Agreed.

I'm in CA, and voted last week via Permanent Absentee Ballot. In CA at least, you don't even have to give 'em a reason. Just sign up, and unless you miss an election, you'll always get an Absentee Ballot from that point forward. I've been doing it this way for a couple years now, and couldn't be happier. :party:

[napi21]

5. The only problem with that..................

They only count the absentee ballots if they are needed to break a vote that is too close. I guess it would work if there were 50,000 absentee votes and the results were 25,000 difference, but when I found out that they aren't counted upfront, I was very disappointed.

[sendero]

6. I think this is a good idea...

... not only for the reasons you cite but also because absentee ballots are more work for the staff to deal with. If they get flooded with paper ballots maybe they will take the issues we have with machines more to heart. Nothing like a little incentive. :)