Wow - 66% of Ballots in Last Statewide Election (2002) were Absentee in WA

[RobertSeattle]

I had no idea it was so high. No wonder last minute "gocha" ads by any politcal party aren't much good - the ballots have already been mailed in!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/144633_absentee20.html

[Noordam]

1. I will never vote Touchscreen again. vote absentee until

there is a paper trail....

[AP]

2. How does it work in WA? Everyone registered automatically gets a mail-in

ballot?

WA went for Gore and Cantwell, in 2000 with over 50% mail-in, right? In 2002 did Dems do well?

[Andy_Stephenson]

4. You have to register for absentee.

Both termite and I vote absentee.

[RobertSeattle]

7. Yep "Permanent" Absentee I believe what it is called.

God forbidden I would go to a polling place and meet my neighbors!

:evilgrin:

[flamingyouth]

3. I just went absentee this year

The possibility of touchscreen scares me too much (although we still have optical-scan here in Seattle).

[Bandit]

5. We would be absolute fools if we didn't advocate for "Vote by Mail"

We would have twice the turn-out we now get. It is just so much easier to vote from the kitchen table than to have to go out find a placew to park and stand in long lines with sneezing and caughing people. We need "Vote by Mail" to save Democracy. Look at Oregon for example of Turn-out. 80% the highest in the entire country and they have "Vote by Mail" They also went Democratic.

[AP]

6. One of the best reasons to vote absentee is that you uncrowd the polls.

It's almost alwasy the case that precincts with heavy Dem turnout don't have enought booths and machines, so they get crowded. People who get paid by the hour then have to pass up on voting if the lines are too long.

Vote absentee, and you increase the chance that some other Democrat will get a chance to vote.