What are your thoughts on early voting? (please do not reference political parties or candidates) (9 Viewers)

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Outside of a handful of instances, that's pretty much what I've always done. Mother Nature is helping to prove my point, as tomorrow there is supposed to be 100% chance of rain / scattered thunderstorms in my area, which certainly won't be fun for those voting. But even aside from that, you just never know you're going to wake up feeling that morning, particularly with flu season and Covid still being a thing.

In a perfect world, I think it would be great if we had the majority of votes locked in prior to Election Day.......but I'm also aware that early voting isn't handled the same in every state.

 

[Madmarsha]

I can get to and be in and out of my polling place in less than 10 minutes generally. This couldn't BE any easier for me and there is no literally no way I couldn't get there tomorrow (unless, you know, I'm dead. Not that that even stops some people). BUT if for some reason you can't get there or there are long lines (which has stopped me in prior years when things weren't so convenient to my situation), I guess it's nice to be able to do so.

 

[Craigj]

I don't understand people waiting hours and hours in line to vote early unless you absolutely can't vote on election day.

At my polling location I'm in and out in 10 minutes.

 

[livefromDC]

Voting early is great. You can do it on your own schedule here in GA. Wait hours on election day, a Tuesday, when it's likely inconvenient, or vote on your schedule. It's a no brainer.

 

[superchuck500]

I think early in-person voting is great, I don’t really agree that it only has to be one day - that just doesn’t make any sense that isn’t arbitrary. I vote early in-person and it has never taken more than half an hour (and if something comes up the day I planned to go, there’s still chance to go again).

I support the idea of mail-in voting because I think there are voters who are very challenged to be able to get to the voting place either for disability or work reasons (including being away in military or work detail). I think that we need to be always working on how to improve this process.

But ultimately I think that the records are pretty clear that documented fraud and abuse is rare as a function of voting activity and is inconsequential. Painting voter fraud as a bogeyman typically leads to voter suppression and that’s no more democratic than fraudulent voting. We just need to be sensible, monitor the activity for trends, and work to have a system that maximizes voting but that is also legal voting, which I think the vast, vast majority of it is.

 

[First Time Poster]

I don't understand people waiting hours and hours in line to vote early unless you absolutely can't vote on election day.

At my polling location I'm in and out in 10 minutes.

Long lines for early voting, in some (most) cases, is evidence of voter suppression. Some states/politicians/parties (carefully toeing the line here) have purposefully made it harder to early vote (reduction in polling stations, reduction of early voting window, reduction of timeframe) for partisan gains. To be blunt, to suppress black voters (data suggests black voters are more likely to vote early). When encouraged, early voting actually leads to shorter lines.

1. Early voting should be encouraged and properly funded/organized by every institution.

2. Early voting benefits our most disadvantaged. Seniors/Elderly, Disabled, Unhoused, Low Income, Minorities.

3. Early voting leads to a more informed electorate. When people aren't rushing on election day to simply cast a vote, they can take their time which benefits down ballot voting, which is arguably more important and impactful to an individual voter than the national choice.

4. Early voting helps reduce organic and purposeful voter suppression. Bad weather, sickness, work and general life stuff can cause a voter to miss voting if they wait until election day (organic). Purposeful suppression is self-explanatory; due to community guidelines I can't get in-depth but purposeful suppression is more impactul on the day of.

5. Election day should be a National Holiday. If the goal is to have as many people participating in our democracy, ie voting, we need to remove the biggest hurdle to people not voting on election day, having to go to work. Early voting is still more ideal, but knowing you can more easily vote on election day since everything is shut down would lend itself to less voter apathy.

 

[bclemms]

If we can file taxes online we should able to vote online. Would save so much BS.

 

[mambodeath]

When I was 18 my thoughts were a lot different, but now it's the only way I do it. I also think calling it "early" is really a disservice. Voting on an election day should be called "last day voting."

 

[Icon]

If we can file taxes online we should able to vote online. Would save so much BS.

Yeaaaaaahh......no.

If a person thinks there is a propensity for voter fraud now, just imagine if that somehow became a thing. To your point about the filing of taxes, there are plenty of people whose returns end up getting rejected because someone already filed a return using their information. Then they have to jump through hoops (and wait longer than usual) to get their refunds.

 

[superchuck500]

Long lines for early voting, in some (most) cases, is evidence of voter suppression.

In my county, there were five locations for early voting (actual election day voting has many voting precincts). One of the early voting locations was at a church fairly near my house - which is technically a close-in suburb, and another location was at the library downtown. As a matter of voter population density, the library would be expected to be busier.

Our early-voting timeframe was two weeks. Based on news coverage, social media, anecdote from friends, the first few days had significant waits at all locations. I think there's a lot of early-bird enthusiasm that brings lines at the more-limited number of voting locations.

But after those first few days, I kept hearing that the lines at the church were long and it took over an hour to vote - sometimes even longer. Like I have done it the past, I went down to the library downtown and voted in 15 minutes.

If I presume that all of the conditions are otherwise equal (meaning the same number of booths, pollling place staff, etc.) and each can handle the exact same number of voters over the same time period, then there was simply more demand at the church. But I think it's unrealistic to think all of that was constant and I have no idea really why one would be faster or more in demand than the other. But these are human beings and volunteers, it's not necessarily foul play that one would move voters more quickly through than the other.

But here in South Carolina, if there's any suppression going on, I can tell you who is suppressing and who is being suppressed - it was actually the subject of a recent Supreme Court decision. If that was the reason why lines would be longer at one location than the other, it doesn't hold up to this example.

 

[First Time Poster]

In my county, there were five locations for early voting (actual election day voting has many voting precincts). One of the early voting locations was at a church fairly near my house - which is technically a close-in suburb, and another location was at the library downtown. As a matter of voter population density, the library would be expected to be busier.

Our early-voting timeframe was two weeks. Based on news coverage, social media, anecdote from friends, the first few days had significant waits at all locations. I think there's a lot of early-bird enthusiasm that brings lines at the more-limited number of voting locations.

But after those first few days, I kept hearing that the lines at the church were long and it took over an hour to vote - sometimes even longer. Like I have done it the past, I went down to the library downtown and voted in 15 minutes.

If I presume that all of the conditions are otherwise equal (meaning the same number of booths, pollling place staff, etc.) and each can handle the exact same number of voters over the same time period, then there was simply more demand at the church. But I think it's unrealistic to think all of that was constant and I have no idea really why one would be faster or more in demand than the other. But these are human beings and volunteers, it's not necessarily foul play that one would move voters more quickly through than the other.

But here in South Carolina, if there's any suppression going on, I can tell you who is suppressing and who is being suppressed - it was actually the subject of a recent Supreme Court decision. If that was the reason why lines would be longer at one location than the other, it doesn't hold up to this example.

Yeah, it's hard to discuss this without political commentary but Shelby County v Holder and SCOTUS deeming the formula for preclearance unconstitutional allowed some states to intentionally enact voter suppression laws and without the oversight from preclearance, they have done just that. Consolidation of polling locations, reducing early voting windows, requirements to early vote. Nationally, it's pretty clear that the intentionality to these decisions have been to affect minority voters but you are right, the suppression can and does affect everyone.

SCOTUS didn't find preclearance unconstitutional, just the formula, and Congress needs to strengthen and update the formula but voting rights has become such a partisan issue that I don't think it will happen. All in all, early voting is great for everyone, especially for our most disadvantaged of the electorate and every state should make that process easier, not harder.

 

[Optimus Prime]

We do mail in ballots and drive to and drop it in the box right outside the elections building

 

[TXSAINTFAN]

In Oklahoma County there are only TWO places open for early voting, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8am-6pm. Saturday 8-2.

Wait times have varied from an hour and a half to 4 hours. Lot of grumbling.

I'll be in line early tomorrow morning. My polling place is on the edge of my hood so easy,

 

[perret318]

Early voting is great. At least in my location, I went a couple of weeks ago. Walked in, voted, walked out. Took maybe 10 minutes on my lunch break.

It's not just great, it's just common sense. One of the most important events for our country, comes around only every four years, why in the world would we say "Everyone in the entire country has to vote on this ONE SPECIFIC DAY. If that day doesn't work for you, sorry." It shouldn't be easier to reschedule a car appointment than it is to vote. So yes, totally agree with @mambodeath - Voting Day voting is just "last-minute voting".

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Every effort should be made to get everyone to vote