I Voted Today!

[Freddie53]

I voted yesterday. Everyone needs to find out yesterday exactly what the law is in your state. In Wisconsin, voters would be wise to take in their absentee ballots rather than mailing them in.

In other states, it may be different.

The problem with this new concept that the state legislatures write the laws is that there is a second vital part to it. The judicial system has the responsibility to enforce it or rule on what the legislatures meant.

All of this garbage from the Trump Supreme Court justices are announcements of what they plan to do.

Biden needs to avoid a major gaffe. The early voting has to be counted doesn't it? Surely, a court would not rule that since early voters votes are counted last that no votes can be tabulated after midnight.

This has never been this way. In my state the official tally is a week or two weeks before the official tallies are due to the state sec of state. Until then, no one has officially won a race! We have had several years ago when the official tally was different from the AP tally election night.

Under this plan what happens if CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox and CNN do not agree on the totals?

And since when did the unofficial results take precedence over the official tallies which are usually several days later?

 

[ericbear]

Daddy Says:

Usually before election day I'm flaunting this in public, doing the "helicopter" to give people a gentle (or perhaps obscene) reminder. I end up with sore balls, and lost dignity, but it's worth it if just one more person votes. (Obviously, I have more respect for my country than for myself.) Sadly, this year my performance has to be virtual, but please vote for real.

Even if you live in a state that is so solidly red/blue that it seems rationally/logically/statistically impossible that your vote can make a difference, please vote anyway. It sets a good example, and gives sorely needed moral support to those in a state balanced on the razor's edge. And besides, some of those down-ballot contests (Representative, Senator, State Legislator, Mayor, Sheriff... ) are less polarized, and often turn out to be just as important later.

Not Registered? In many states, it's not too late to register (on-line or in-person).

Confused? Have Questions? Need Information? Where's the polling place or DropBox?
Click on the link below, then select your state to get started:

how do i vote #election2020 - Google Search

 

[ActionBuddy]

I hope that all sates that have mail-in ballots, that the ballots come with a detachable stub with it's tracking number on it. Having read that over 10,000 ballots in my state, alone, have been rejected for not having a signature, or for "mismatched" signatures, and that at least one ballot drop-off box has been set on fire, I tracked my ballot until it was documented as being counted. I advise that you all do the same.

A/B

 

[ActionBuddy]

I hope that all sates that have mail-in ballots, that the ballots come with a detachable stub with it's tracking number on it. Having read that over 10,000 ballots in my state, alone, have been rejected for not having a signature, or for "mismatched" signatures, and that at least one ballot drop-off box has been set on fire, I tracked my ballot until it was documented as being counted. I advise that you all do the same.

A/B

Oops... STATES!

 

[malakos]

Even if you live in a state that is so solidly red/blue that it seems rationally/logically/statistically impossible that your vote can make a difference...

This is definitely true in my case. I looked up all of the relevant national and state "contests", and they're all foregone conclusions.

It sets a good example...

For whom? I wouldn't advertise that I had voted, if I did vote. Really the only people who would know would be the mass of strangers at the polling place. And I would just be an insignificant, unknown member of that mass. Who would I be setting an example for?

... and gives sorely needed moral support to those in a state balanced on the razor's edge.

Same issue here. How would anyone in other states be aware of whether I had voted or not?

And besides, some of those down-ballot contests (Representative, Senator, State Legislator, Mayor, Sheriff... ) are less polarized, and often turn out to be just as important later.

California behaves as a one-party state in most of its counties.

 

[ericbear]

...
For whom? I wouldn't advertise that I had voted, if I did vote. Really the only people who would know would be the mass of strangers at the polling place. And I would just be an insignificant, unknown member of that mass. Who would I be setting an example for?
Same issue here. How would anyone in other states be aware of whether I had voted or not?
California behaves as a one-party state in most of its counties.

Is that supposed to you mean don't vote? A lot of people (not saying you...) claim the political system doesn't work, yet they have never participated in it in any way. And if enough people refuse to participate, then it won't work. So, we get into a circular argument... The easiest participation is voting, although it is not always immediately effective. But there are a lot of ways you can step this up, too. And yes, much of politics may be rotten, but things rot when they are neglected. And please don't say abandonment of the political process, or anarchy, is the solution. There are many things we enjoy in modern life which depend on political and economic predictability to exist, even if those systems are broken. It's strange that some of the cheapest and ubiquitous things in life (from utilities to gadgets) only exist because of private investments of astonishing amounts of money, something that would never happen without stability. As an engineer I can tell you that there are critical parts in the computer or phone you are using to read this forum which cost just pennies, making the device affordable, but require multi-billion dollar factories to make at all. Such investment does not happen in anarchy or unrest.

Because we get on social media (even LPSG), which knows no state boundaries, and talk about it. Because many of us talk to our friends and family scattered nationwide, and discuss such things, even if that doesn't apply to you. Because the lines already forming at the polling places are seen on the national news (actually, even on BBC out of the UK), blogs, etc., and the fact that these faces are anonymous to the viewer is irrelevant, so long as there are a enough of them. Because humans like to cheer each other on. Because you can't reasonably ask someone else to do something you are unwilling to do yourself. Because people are more likely to do something if they think others are doing it, which impression they get from the sources just described. Because the more people of all persuasions that vote regularly, even if it seems futile now, the harder it gets to gerrymander the voting districts in the future, making it more likely that voting will become more effective. And finally, because having to make a choice on the ballot forces you to think and become informed about what is going on.

This is a national forum, so the situation you may perceive in particular California counties should not be extrapolated to the whole nation, which is very varied in its makeup. I can't speak for a lot of the California counties, but Orange county has transitioned from red to purple to almost blue in the time I have lived here (I'm an East coast transplant) and is still evolving and dithering back and forth. Various cities within the county still completely cover the political spectrum. While overall Orange may vote bluish these days, note that Trump visited last week and held a fundraiser here, because some highly prominent GOP donors curiously happen to live here. And partisan offices aside, some of the so-called "non-partisan" offices, such as school board, end up having a lot more influence than you might think. When I lived back East, about two-thirds of my property tax bill was directly determined by the actions of the school board, yet almost no one voted in the board elections.

 

[Nigel Atkinson]

I've got a question for anyone who can answer. Is there an online source that gives you a list of the candidates for ballots on the local and federal levels ?

 

[Yes.No.Whatever]

I've got a question for anyone who can answer. Is there an online source that gives you a list of the candidates for ballots on the local and federal levels ?

Prior to voting this year, I went to my County Board of Elections website and was able to download a pdf file that contained a photo of a sample ballot for my voting district based on my home address.

 

[Nigel Atkinson]

Prior to voting this year, I went to my County Board of Elections website and was able to download a pdf file that contained a photo of a sample ballot for my voting district based on my home address.

Thank You

 

[NCbear]

I voted this morning.

NCbear (who thinks it’s the single most important way to participate in my own government as well as my most significant civic duty)