Why does FL get to vote early?

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I just saw a news bite where the people of FL are getting to vote early.

WHY?

I can understand absentee ballots but these aren't! People were trotting to the polls.

So, why have an election DAY on November 2, if people can vote when they want?

Is this every where or is FL just SPECIAL? Or are they going to let them keep voting until they get it right? There should be no do overs in voting. Pay attention to what you are doing!

Want to place bets that the MEDIA find out who's ahead when these ballots are counted and announce the next president just from them?

[moosmom]

Didn't you KNOW that the Governor of Florida is non other than Jeb BUSH. Get it??? BUSH, brother of the President? It's not what you know it's WHO you know or are related to. Sucks doesn't it??? They're probably afraid that alot of the elderly Florida residents will croak before voting day thereby losing votes. Bush needs all the help he can get at this point.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I was wondering if they were wanting to get a head start on all the recounting?

[Logan]

I understand that they are trying to avoid the problems from last time, Connie, according to the reports I've seen. I don't think it has anything to do with either candidate, but it appears that the candidate that is campaigning in Florida is certainly encouraging people to go ahead and vote NOW (and he's not Republican), so surely it isn't a Republican ploy. And it isn't just Florida. There are at least 3 other states, including Texas and Arkansas (can't remember the other one right this second) that are allowing the same thing.

Just read this in an article posted at MSNBC:

More than two dozen states offer “no excuse” early voting by either mail or in person, meaning voters do not have to give a reason. Some states, such as Nevada, Iowa and West Virginia, have already begun. Texas, Arkansas and Colorado also started Monday.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Originally posted by Logan
I understand that they are trying to avoid the problems from last time, Connie, according to the reports I've seen. I don't think it has anything to do with either candidate, but it appears that the candidate that is campaigning in Florida is certainly encouraging people to go ahead and vote NOW (and he's not Republican), so surely it isn't a Republican ploy. And it isn't just Florida. There are at least 3 other states, including Texas and Arkansas (can't remember the other one right this second) that are allowing the same thing.

Thanks for the heads up, Logan. On what I saw, they didn't say WHY they were allowing this. They have had 4 years to get the thing straightened out. I would have thought they would have tested it before now.

No mention was made of the other states doing this.

Maybe they should do what we do in my area of Kansas; use a pencil with a good eraser. If we mess up the ballot so badly it can't be read, out it goes!

[ParNone]

We were allowed to vote early here in Houston too, so it doesn't appear to be a Florida thing only. They showed Former Pres. Bush and Barbara standing in a huge line, with the rest of the common folk, to vote on the local news this morning. I couldn't believe the turn out. I think that bodes very well for Kerry.

Par...

[Logan]

Hey Par! I'm just curious about why you think it bodes well for Kerry? I swear I'm not trying to be political, just sincerely curious!

Logan

[ParNone]

Hi Logan,

Nothing scientific or anything, just total opinion on my part. But I feel like if people are that motivated and fired up to go vote, it more then likely is because they want Change. If they were happy with the status quo, they'd be more apathetic, like they have been in past elections.

Par...

[aly]

Originally posted by ParNone
Hi Logan,

Nothing scientific or anything, just total opinion on my part. But I feel like if people are that motivated and fired up to go vote, it more then likely is because they want Change. If they were happy with the status quo, they'd be more apathetic, like they have been in past elections.

Par...

I was thinking the same.

I've been pretty surprised how many Anti-Bush bumper stickers there are here in Austin, TX!!!!

Its going to be sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo CLOSE!

[christa]

Originally posted by ParNone
But I feel like if people are that motivated and fired up to go vote, it more then likely is because they want Change.

You could argue the opposite . . . maybe people are motivated to get out to stop a war criminal from becoming our president.

Too harsh?

I don't care.

I'm sick of all this.

I can't wait for this election year to end.

[christa]

There is a record number of registered voters here in Kentucky this election year.

We are voting on the marriage amendment and that is a big reason for the high numbers of registered voters.

Some organizations have been signing up churches and other groups in really high numbers.

So as far as KY goes, the big numbers are due to the marriage amendment.

[catland]

Whatever happens, I just really hope that the winner comes out with enough electoral votes to avoid a replay of 2000. We just don't need that again.

Here in the (I believe) only 100% vote-by-mail state, I'm looking forward to receiving my ballot so that I can go home, open a beer, vote, and officially tune out all of the last minute lunacy.

Only now my chads are gone and I have to find a pen or pencil to do the task.

Please everyone, please PLEASE pray that one or the other wins by more than seven electoral votes and that if they don't that Oregon is not a close call that requires a recount. We suffered a last minute snafu on whether or not Ralphie Nader belonged on the ballot and the overseas ballots went out with his name on them but the rest do not have his name.

you know that the press would just have the proverbial field day with that mess on their hands.

[christa]

Please everyone, please PLEASE pray that one or the other wins by more than seven electoral votes . . .

Amen to that! Both sides are already ready for another disaster though . . . it's gonna be a mess. I can feel it.

I didn't realize that Oregon is 100% vote by mail . . . hmm . . . I think that something needs to be done, nationally, to make this easier.

[jazzcat]

We have early voting here in TN too. It started last Wednesday and hubby and I both went last Friday to vote since he was off that day. It felt a little weird voting this early but my mind was more than made up. Lets just hope some big twist doesn't happen between now and election day. One big down fall I can see to early voting.

BTW, we went to two different voting places because the first one had over a 45 minute wait to vote. At the second place we were in and out in 15 minutes.

[guster girl]

Originally posted by aly
I was thinking the same.

I've been pretty surprised how many Anti-Bush bumper stickers there are here in Austin, TX!!!!

Its going to be sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo CLOSE!

My friend, Alison, that just moved down to Horseshoe Bay, has a bumper sticker that says "Anyone but Bush" and she's said she is really surprised that she hasn't had any problems with it since she's moved down there. Someone here in the DFW area kicked her bumper (it's dented) because of it, and, she was getting nasty notes all the time because of it.