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This page contains all of the posts and discussion on MemeStreams referencing the following web page: Election Reform in FL. You can find discussions on MemeStreams as you surf the web, even if you aren't a MemeStreams member, using the Threads Bookmarklet.
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Election Reform in FL
by k at 12:01 pm EST, Dec 2, 2004 |
] Florida's election supervisors, impressed by the success
] of early voting, proposed dramatic reforms Tuesday that
] would eliminate Election Day, replace it with an 11-day
] election season and do away with precincts.
]
]
] The association of the state's 67 chief elections
] officials voted in concept at its annual winter meeting
] in Orlando to informally present the idea to the
] Legislature and to start rallying support for what its
] members concede would be a sea change in how Floridians
] vote.
]
]
] ''I think the voters spoke loud and clear in the general
] election of 2004 that they want other options than to be
] limited to 12 hours on a Tuesday to vote," said Bill
] Cowles, Orange County supervisor of elections and
] president of the Florida State Association of Supervisors
] of Elections. "We should seize upon the opportunity in
] 2005 to make the changes so we can try it in 2006." [ Mixed feelings on this. Extending the timeframe would seem likely to increase turnout, as it reduces the pressure on one day, diminishes lines, and so on. On the other hand, there would probably increased difficulty of getting certain groups (the poor and the elderly in particular) to polling places that would now be fewer and farther between, and also the centralization of ballots might promote a more dangerous environment for fraud. I think these kinds of proposals deserve a lot of attention and discussion, because I think some changes are definitely needed. I've always thought it made the most sense to simply make election day a national holiday. Voting is so undeniably critical to our way of life, it shouldn't have to be crammed in during lunch time. Volunteers would be far more acessible if they don't have to burn one of their precious 10 vacation days for the year. The fact that we already have 2 federal holidays in november is certainly a hurdle... Ok, let the discussion begin... -k] |
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RE: Election Reform in FL
by Decius at 9:37 pm EST, Dec 2, 2004 |
k wrote:
] [ Mixed feelings on this. Extending the timeframe would seem
] likely to increase turnout, as it reduces the pressure on one
] day, diminishes lines, and so on. It will be interesting to see the interplay between this and exit polling. ] centralization of ballots might promote a more dangerous
] environment for fraud. Eh... I tend to think smaller polling places are more easily scammed then large ones. ] I've always thought it made the most sense to simply make
] election day a national holiday. Voting is so undeniably
] critical to our way of life, it shouldn't have to be crammed
] in during lunch time. I agree, but the only way to make this workable would be to change the date, and the only way to change the date, and that gets real messy... |
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RE: Election Reform in FL
by k at 11:08 pm EST, Dec 2, 2004 |
Decius wrote:
] It will be interesting to see the interplay between this and
] exit polling. That's the big question mark for any situation like this, of course. I think it's safe to say that releasing that data as you go would create a chilling effect if one candidate took an early lead. At the very least it would have an effect. It'll be interesting to see if studies are done on the actual effect. This issue is one of the main reasons i favor the idea of a national holiday. Of course, I hate that they release exit polls when they do now, so I may be a tad biased. I accept that exit polling is a useful check on the validity of an election, after the fact, but I don't like the sports-caster tone it all takes on. not sure if there's a solution to that. ] Eh... I tend to think smaller polling places are more easily
] scammed then large ones. True, but it's a smaller impact. I think it'd be more costly, in a per vote sort of metric, to defraud a lot of small precincts than one larger one. And the risk/payoff ratio for a single large spot is probably lower. for election day to be a national holiday we'd, probably, either have to move election day, or move veterans day. In some sense, voting is a pretty good way to honor vets, but i don't think the majority would see it that way. i'm not even sure i do, but it's no less likely than getting congress to change the date of the election into october. |
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