Absentee voter advice...

[Hand]

I'm voting absentee in CO (live in Canada). I know WHO to vote for no problem, but am wondering about any referenda, propositions, amendments, etc. on the ballot that might prove tricky.

I remember in 2000 there was a very oddly worded tax "reform" referendum that turned out to be a David Bruce initiative in disguise. Then of course there was the infamous gay-bashing amendment that I'm convinced passed because it was cleverly worded.

Advice? Thanx!!

:hi:

[stubertmcfly]

1. since then...

... colorado has adopted rules that mandate new initiatives be worded in a way that a "no" vote turns it down and a "yes" affirms. ammendment 2 was intentionally written to deceive the voter where a "yes" vote was actually against the legislation in some way. not exactly sure how that was written. fortunately, it was overturned.

as far as local initiatives go, we have an important senate race this year with salazar (d) running against coors (r). that would be an important one to look at.

there are two other initiatives that bear concern are a cigarette tax and a renewable energy tax. another measure that may or may not be on the ballot this year seeks to split our electoral vote instead of using the current winner-takes-all system.

here is a link to our current bluebook:

http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/lcsstaff/2004/ballot/2004BluebookforInternet.PDF

apparently there are a couple of lawsuits against the state pending regarding some of the wording in this manual. one democratic senator and an environmental group (i believe) took some offense to the partisan language within and have asked that new books be printed. just thought i'd warn you on that.

[Hand]

3. Great! Thanks for the link...

And :hi: from an ex-Boulderite...

[stubertmcfly]

2. and on a completely unrelated topic...

...how's canada treating you? i am looking for options if things don't go well in november.

[Hand]

4. Pretty good, IMHO...

We moved here from Boulder in 1990. Tough the first few years with a nasty recession, but the fact is that Canada's a kinder, gentler nation in most ways. We live in Nova Scotia, which is a beautiful province and noted for its hospitality.

People here--especially outside the city (Halifax)--are predominantly good natured and kind. The Atlantic provinces are the have-not area of Canada, but I've always said that money may be hard to come by here, but common civility is not!

One thing about Canada is that it's HUGE--bigger than the US, bigger than Russia, smaller than China--and mostly empty. The total population is 30 million, largely concentrated in urban areas near the border, sort of like Chile turned on its side. The rest of the country is substantially empty--forest, tundra, prairie, mountains. I think that makes people more relaxed and the pace of life slower (sometimes maddeningly so!).

The health care system is pretty workable--it takes a lot of money to keep it running and there are always problems, but overall I'd take over a US HMO any day.

Taxes are higher, but that's just because you pay for what you get... how do you finance universal health care? Answer: You pay for it. Duh...

Anyway, I hope that you don't have to move in November, and I (and my wife) will be among those helping to push Colorado into the blue.

:hi:

[stubertmcfly]

7. thanks for the info...

i hope to not make the move (shit, i just painted my house! you know how much that sucks?!?!?) but am considering the vancouver area or up near banff if we do decide to jam outta here.

glad that link helped... i agree that #36 is a doozie. part of me thinks that it is a good idea (the same part of me that would like to see us ditch the electoral college or get some other system in place) but another part of me would hate to see that get passed and for kerry to win the state and have to split votes. we'll see i guess.

[politicat]

8. Off the record, I've been hearing party officials say "It's the right

thing to do... but not this year!!" So you're not the only one who's torn.

I'm still undecided... (I know...) but I really think that until all states do it, it's not effective.

Basically, I feel like it hamstrings us.... but it's the right thing to do....

Hamstrings us because we're such a divided state, so essentially there's only 1 electoral vote up for contention, so no candidate's going to bother to spend money here... though that might be a good thing... but... but... but... it's the right thing to do. It really is the most democratic option.

Sigh....

boulderite :wave: at you Lucky people in the maritimes....

Pcat

[newyawker99]

10. Hi stubertmcfly!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Jeff1965]

5. Ammendment 36

This is the real tough one. I am inclined to vote for it, because it would split electoral votes according to popular vote. Nader could possibly even get an electoral vote.

On the down side, with the Salazar coat tails, Kerry could win the state and only get 5 instead of the 9 electoral votes.

I will wait to make a decision on this until I see the November presidential polls.

[El Supremo]

6. Nader could even get a vote??????

Jeff pleaaaase,

This is a Democrat forum. Not a Green, Reform or whatever Party forum. Nader is a loser and I don't want him to allow the Repugs to gain the White House again. Voting for a looser is EXACTLY the same as voting for Bush.

I'm working to get Kerry and Edwards all of Colorado's 9 electoral votes. How about you?

[DJ Dave]

9. Voter suppression in Boulder County

I wanted to create a new thread, but I'm new here (and not a Republican troll, I promise) and so I'm barred from creating new threads. Anyway, I read at Colorado Luis' site that there are new voter suppression tactics being used in Boulder County:

Probably a huge percentage of my readers also read Daily Kos, but if you live in Colorado and you don't (or if you don't read Ralph's site), be sure to read Ralph's diary entry on vote suppression dirty tricks that have already begun in Boulder County. People have been getting calls saying they have ordered absentee ballots, when they haven't -- the idea is to make you think you have ordered one, so you will miss the deadline, and the suppressors hope at least those voters who really do intend to vote by absentee ballot will then miss the election.

This is outrageous, and I'm hoping that a Coloradoan who received one of these calls will alert the local media.

Dave (native Coloradoan, now in deepest Kansas)

[newyawker99]

11. Hi DJ Dave!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Hand]

12. Boulder County--THAT figures!

Likely the most reliably Democratic county in the state and notoriously liberal. What a surprise that this dirty trick would be happening there.

Fuck all Repukes. Every damned one of them.

:grr: