[mcmama]

Florida is one of the states that offers early voting. It started today.

Being a new resident, I probably should take advantage of this so that there are no problems on election day. I heard lines were long in Miami, but I am not in an area that is too crowded. So I think I will try it this week.

Are you in a state where early voting is possible? What is your experience? Do you think it has an impact on the election, or should we all wait until the official election day?

[lavatea]

I'm in Texas, and we have early voting. I think it's fine for straight-ticket party people, and it probably does ease congestion. I don't know how independents can vote early, though, because the race changes daily it seems.

[JeanLynn81]

I don't think MO offers the early voting. But last election the lines weren't incredibly bad out here, so I think I can wait.

I am already decided on most of my votes. I have to research a few more so I'm not just punching in yes or no to propositions I've never heard anything about.... yeah I did it last time, I admit it.

But Janet if you have an option to avoid long lines, I'd go for it!

[QueenAngie]

Lots of people vote early here too.

Great option.

Just hoping they are all live people voting, not somebody using an alias of an expired person.

[Labhaoise]

Originally Posted by QueenAngie

Just hoping they are all live people voting, not somebody using an alias of an expired person.

People do that?!?

[jmmv08]

Well, I guess it's a good option on avoiding long lines.

[mcmama]

Yeah, Angie's from Illinois. Home of Cook County and Chicago politics. When I lived in Cook county, dead people were registered to vote. And they did.

I think Chicago is where the saying "Vote early and often" originated.

[pattiewrites]

I am much more concerned about voter suppression and legitamate voters being purged from the rolls and turned away on election day than dead people voting. Hoping they've fixed things in Florida with Katherine Harris and Jeb gone!

[mcmama]

There is currently concern in Florida and Alabama about votor fraud and duplicate voting. Apparently it is not foolproof if say a college student files an absentee ballot and then goes home to vote on election day. The cross checking is apparently not foolproof. So if it is close, you will see arguments over absentee ballots most likely.

There is also concern over the training of poll workers. Apparently some take the idea of no campaigning inside the poll area literally - so someone who went to vote wearing a t shirt endorsing one of the candidates was told they could not vote wearing that t shirt. That was corrected and the person voted. It is not the same as giving out literature or actually campaigning.

[pattiewrites]

I really think to make a difference, it would have to be thousands of votes. Like what was done in Florida in 2000, when Harris had DBT take 20,000 legitamate voters off the rolls. When they showed up to vote, they were told they were felons and sent away, although they had never committed a crime in their lives. 85% where Democrat and 50% where African American. More than just suspicious since she was the Chair of Bush's Florida campaign and the person entrusted with certifying the election. It did affect the outcome of the presidency and was nothing short of treason.

This time around, it would have to happen in several states for McCain to win. I'm not a big fan of the people who say they'd leave the US if McCain won, but if he won like Bush won, by suppressing actual voters, I'd have to consider it because America would no longer be what it was created to be.

I've heard a lot of talk about supposed multiple voting and Mickey Mouse voting, but haven't yet seen a shred of evidence it has happened anywhere. I really think it is an attempt to discredit the vote before it takes place. I hope we have a paper trail this time around. It may be time to consider another method of voter registration. It should be automatic somehow, rather than canvassing and registering people by outside agencies. Maybe through the Social Security or automatically when people get their driver's license, like the Motor Voter procedures in many states. Something federal would prevent state to state voting irregularities, since it would be one database linked by SS numbers.