If Mass had "vote by mail" we wouldn't be nearly as worried as we are now.

[Winterblues]

We need to make voting more convenient. The more convenient it is the higher the turnout, IMO. Imagine if you didn't need to find a parking place, or stand in line, or risk running into that person you would just as soon avoid. Imagine sitting around your kitchen table with your ballot, that you have had for several weeks, and a cup of coffee at hand. You have had the time to examine every aspect of what is on the ballot, whether it is a ballot measure or a candidate. You have been able to talk it over with whomever ?? and come to a studied decision. You fill it out and give it to the mailman, and your civic duty is done and done in comfort and with knowledge..Imagine how it could be and then wonder why we have to worry about driving in the snow or hail or whatever the postman always gets through.. Imagine...

[Tesha]

1. Vote by mail also makes it much harder to run last minute, "no time to respond"...

bullshit attack ads. If the voters already voted two
weeks ago, what's the point of running the last-minute
advertisement?

Tesha

[Skink]

2. Early voting. Texas has it. Vote at your leisure on your day off.

If you can't vote because between your two shifts you couldn't find a parking place a crime has been commited.

[Dreamer Tatum]

Wait. People think Diebold steals every election, but the USPS is above suspicion?

:rofl:

[quiller4]

12. Actually in WA and OR you can use election office drop boxes

take you ballot to the election office in person or mail it.

USPS is above suspicion in my book.

[woo me with science]

3. Then the mail carriers rule the world bwahahahahahahah! nt

[Captain Hilts]

4. Vote by mail is not private. You are FAR more vulnerable to pressure by mates, etc. nt

[Winterblues]

5. Oregon has had it for a decade now and all Parties LOVE it

I don't buy your argument..

[Captain Hilts]

7. They're concerned with higher turnout. But as someone who has studied -

and worked - with voter behavior - mailed-in ballots create situations where people are voters are subject to much more pressure by spouses, friends, etc. Women, in particular, are much more likely to be on the receiving end of these pressures than are men.

Since women - spouses - often vote differently, this method is seen as threatening that traditional voting pattern.

States like getting higher turnout - it gives greater legitimacy to their officials - and fewer voting technology fracases. Vote integrity isn't that high on their list of priorities.

[quiller4]

11. But studies in WA and Ore have failed to support that contention

[pinto]

6. We have vote by mail in CA and it is very widely used.

It's great for people who work odd shifts, travel for work a lot, have mobility / transportation problems, etc. etc.

My preference is to go to the poll, just 'cause I like the process and the ritual, but for many, mail-in makes voting possible.

:thumbsup:

[Wilms]

8. For all that seems great about vote by mail there's a raft of potential problems.

And the votes are still counted by computer.

[bvar22]

9. AND....No Exit Polls.

Exit Polls and same day voting are the ONLY way to have outside-the-system cross check.

Otherwise, you simply have to trust the "establishment system" to tell you who won.
I don't.

Paper Ballots, publicly hand counted at the precinct with the results posted on the precinct door is the best way for a secure vote system.

[Wilms]

10. Short of the now nearly defunct lever machines, I concur that HCPB at the polling place is best. n/t

[bvar22]

13. That escalates a nagging fear of mine.

With the clearly stolen election in 2000,
AND the lingering doubts about the vote in Ohio in 2004,
you would think that Election Security would be a Front Burner High Heat Issue with the Democratic Party,
.
.
.
but it is NOT.
Not a peep from The Party on this.
.
.
.
I can think of only ONE reason for this.

[Wilms]

14. What ever that reason is, and I think I agree...

...add unfamiliarity with the issues and even worse.

Many well-meaning anti-DRE activists went sooooo far pushing paper ballot optical scan that they left others with the notion that it was sufficient to secure the election systems. It's not.