Voting vs Mail-In Ballots

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

Hi folks,

As I have posted previously, I think the mail-in voting only, as we have it here in Oregon, is the best way to vote.

Yesterday was our Primary &, at least so far, everything has, once again, gone very smoothly.  We've had 'mail-in only' for over 20 yrs & I never hear anyone complain about it.

However, Our National Idiot seems to not agree:  'Trump Repeats Unfounded Claims About Mail-In Voting, Threatens Funding To 2 States'

https://www.npr.org/2020/05/20/859333693/trump-repeats-unfounded-claims-about-mail-in-voting-threatens-funding-to-some-st

I think this dufus is getting dumber by the day.

Jerry Baumchen

PS) Edit to change 'paper' to 'mail-in'; sorry for any confusion.

Edited May 20, 2020 by JerryBaumchen

[ryoder 1,380]

Trump has trouble sleeping at night due to nagging fear that next election might be decided by Americans, instead of Russians.

[normiss 620]

2 hours ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi folks,

As I have posted previously, I think the mail-in voting only, as we have it here in Oregon, is the best way to vote.

Yesterday was our Primary &, at least so far, everything has, once again, gone very smoothly.  We've had 'mail-in only' for over 20 yrs & I never hear anyone complain about it.

However, Our National Idiot seems to not agree:  'Trump Repeats Unfounded Claims About Mail-In Voting, Threatens Funding To 2 States'

https://www.npr.org/2020/05/20/859333693/trump-repeats-unfounded-claims-about-mail-in-voting-threatens-funding-to-some-st

I think this dufus is getting dumber by the day.

Jerry Baumchen

PS) Edit to change 'paper' to 'mail-in'; sorry for any confusion.

I find it interesting he has yet to target Florida.

Works fine here. We also do not have to mail them in, they can be put in the lock boxes at early voting locations or the day of in-person voting. We just drop them in the box at the local library. Never a line, and the staff require us to put them in ourselves so they are not interfering in the process. We can then verify receipt and entry into the voting system the next day.

It's always been a pretty solid process from my perspective. I started absentee voting back when I was in the Navy, too many years ago to count.

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

On 5/20/2020 at 1:13 PM, normiss said:

 

Hi folks,

I see where Darrell Issa is still being stupid.

Re:  ' Darrell Issa and a conservative group are suing to block California’s move to an all-mail November election.'

https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/05/21/issa-sues-california-over-november-mail-ballot-election-1285467

Maybe the R's are running scared this time around.

Jerry Baumchen

[billvon 2,380]

33 minutes ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi folks,

I see where Darrell Issa is still being stupid.

Re:  ' Darrell Issa and a conservative group are suing to block California’s move to an all-mail November election.'

 

Yep.  They don't really care about California (that's not changing any time soon) but if California does it, then other states might - and fair elections are a GOPers worst nightmare.

[NewGuy2005 51]

I don't think there is a chance in Hell that we will be able to switch to all mail in by November.  There are too many logistical barriers to overcome in such a short period of time.  I'm for a mail in election, but if it's done in a haphazard manner, it will be a disaster.

[gowlerk 1,902]

On 5/21/2020 at 10:12 PM, billvon said:

and fair elections are a GOPers worst nightmare.

Hoards of poor brown people voting. People who they have worked so hard at suppressing for so long.

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

12 minutes ago, NewGuy2005 said:

I don't think there is a chance in Hell that we will be able to switch to all mail in by November.  There are too many logistical barriers to overcome in such a short period of time.  I'm for a mail in election, but if it's done in a haphazard manner, it will be a disaster.

Hi NewGuy,

If I were a state election official wanting to go to mail-in, I would merely contact the Oregon Sec of State & see how we do it.  Copying our system in today's world could be done very quickly.  Really, it is just an expanded absentee ballot; which most states, I think, already have provisions to do.

Jerry Baumchen

[NewGuy2005 51]

23 hours ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi NewGuy,

If I were a state election official wanting to go to mail-in, I would merely contact the Oregon Sec of State & see how we do it.  Copying our system in today's world could be done very quickly.  Really, it is just an expanded absentee ballot; which most states, I think, already have provisions to do.

Jerry Baumchen

Agreed that Oregon is the gold standard  for mail in.  I was thinking the bigger problem would be getting all of the ballots printed and read.  I heard a podcast the other day in which they said that not only would they need a long lead time to print the ballots, they might even need to bring on extra equipment to print as well as read the ballots.

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

43 minutes ago, NewGuy2005 said:

 I heard a podcast the other day in which they said that not only would they need a long lead time to print the ballots, they might even need to bring on extra equipment to print as well as read the ballots.

Hi NewGuy,

Sounds to me like a biased podcast.

Printing in today's world is a very simple thing to do; including any necessary envelopes.  The reading method would still be the same; no extra effort.

Jerry Baumchen

[headoverheels 291]

7 hours ago, NewGuy2005 said:

 I heard a podcast the other day in which they said that not only would they need a long lead time to print the ballots, they might even need to bring on extra equipment to print as well as read the ballots.

All registered voters in California get sample ballots, along with the information on whatever is on the ballot.  The real ballot is on different paper, but not really different.  Anyone who wants a mail in ballot can get one.  I don't see much problem with the printing, at least in this state. 

I used to vote in person, at my polling place in someone's garage about 2 miles from home.  At some point, it was decided that my neighborhood didn't have adequate population to have a designated local polling place (I do live in a town of over 1 million), so I am mailed a mail-in ballot.  Never mailed in 20 years -- just dropped it at a polling place (school, condo complex, mosque, library drop box), since I rarely work my way through the issues in time to mail. This March I actually mailed it, since I was out of town travelling.

Edited May 25, 2020 by headoverheels

[NewGuy2005 51]

14 hours ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi NewGuy,

Sounds to me like a biased podcast.

Printing in today's world is a very simple thing to do; including any necessary envelopes.  The reading method would still be the same; no extra effort.

Jerry Baumchen

Fair enough.  The reading method would be the same, but there would be a great deal more effort due to the increase in volume.  It's not anything that can't be overcome, but the question is can it be overcome by November?

[normiss 620]

Current offset printers are capable of well over 10,000 pages per hour, heat offset industrial printers can run over 2,200 feet of paper per minute. Post production sorting, folding, and enveloping, can damn near match those speeds as well.

November isn't the challenge as much as the political interference is.

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

2 hours ago, normiss said:

November isn't the challenge as much as the political interference is.

Hi Mark,

^^^^^ THIS.

Getting more people to vote scares the s*** out of Trump.

Jerry Baumchen

[ryoder 1,380]

3 minutes ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi Mark,

^^^^^ THIS.

Getting more people to vote scares the s*** out of Trump.

Jerry Baumchen

I don't get why the hell the GOP thinks the ideal situation would be for no one to vote. Can they not get enough brain cells firing simultaneously to understand that no one voting would mean a tie, and not a victory?

[NewGuy2005 51]

2 hours ago, ryoder said:

I don't get why the hell the GOP thinks the ideal situation would be for no one to vote. Can they not get enough brain cells firing simultaneously to understand that no one voting would mean a tie, and not a victory?

I think the GOP focus on voter suppression is because of the idea that Democrats are easier to discourage from voting than Republicans.  No idea if that's true.

[JoeWeber 2,294]

On 5/20/2020 at 1:41 PM, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi folks,

As I have posted previously, I think the mail-in voting only, as we have it here in Oregon, is the best way to vote.

Yesterday was our Primary &, at least so far, everything has, once again, gone very smoothly.  We've had 'mail-in only' for over 20 yrs & I never hear anyone complain about it.

However, Our National Idiot seems to not agree:  'Trump Repeats Unfounded Claims About Mail-In Voting, Threatens Funding To 2 States'

https://www.npr.org/2020/05/20/859333693/trump-repeats-unfounded-claims-about-mail-in-voting-threatens-funding-to-some-st

I think this dufus is getting dumber by the day.

Jerry Baumchen

PS) Edit to change 'paper' to 'mail-in'; sorry for any confusion.

Jerry Brother, you're not confusing this with mail order brides I hope.

[GeorgiaDon 340]

14 hours ago, ryoder said:

I don't get why the hell the GOP thinks the ideal situation would be for no one to vote. Can they not get enough brain cells firing simultaneously to understand that no one voting would mean a tie, and not a victory?

I think the issue is more that several states (Texas for one) allow anyone 65 or older to vote by mail; i.e. they can submit an absentee ballot without actually being out of state.  This means that older demographic, which leans Republican by some margin, can already vote by mail.  By forcing everyone else to actually go to the polls in a pandemic, they hope lots of people won't take the risk.  Democrats are stronger in the younger age groups so this tactic gives Republicans an advantage.  If they can also do things like reduce polling stations so you have to stand in line for hours, that will tilt the field even more towards older voters who can mail in their ballots.

Don

[BIGUN 1,048]

On 5/20/2020 at 3:13 PM, normiss said:

I started absentee voting back when I was in the Navy, too many years ago to count.

We both did mail-in voting while in the service and more importantly; while overseas. We got the ballot, we filled it out and signed it. If someone else filled out the ballot for you - their name and signature had to be placed on the ballot also. We then put the numbered ballot in the numbered envelope and sent it in to be counted. The discussion about printing is silly. All ballots are printed, so the distribution of the ballots is the only logistics for discussion. Whether you go to the ballot or it comes to you - that's it.

Before mom passed, she became blind, but she still voted. As her caregiver, we would have a cup of coffee and I would read the ballot to her and indicate her wishes. The session was videotaped (mom's signature had gone from a beautiful catholic penmanship cursive upbringing to a scribble). We didn't have to video tape it, but if there was ever a question - it was on tape.

The bottom line is: The 26th Amendment ratified in 1971 says, "The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age." There was no need to put race, creed, color, etc. because that had already been established.  And so, the questions become, "1) How to ensure that happens and, 2) How to do it while preserving the integrity of the vote."

There is premise for both parts of the question. How to ensure it happens is laid out in the second section of the amendment. "The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."   End of story. It doesn't matter if one agrees, disagrees or doesn't understand. If the House votes to have mail-in ballots. That's the way it is. Deal with it. And the fact is - it's what the voters on both sides are asking for.

With the current pandemic and what's happened in Wisconsin to both voters and poll workers creating a CoVID hotspot, it becomes more important to address this now than wait until we get closer to the election and the logistics to be more an issue. Write to your US representatives and tell them your thoughts on the matter - AND, ask them to get busy. 

With regard to the second part of the question; preserving the integrity of the vote should be a matter addressed whether it is write-in or electronic. As we both know, digital can be manipulated as easy as a write-in ballot. As mentioned in an earlier post; use a model. We have that. Colorado. Colorado forwarded only 0.0027% out of 2.5 million ballots for fraud investigation. Find out how they do it and ask congress to emulate that.

As to the argument about which party will benefit more - no one knows. Colorado’s increase in turnout didn't benefit one party over another. The increased turnout in Colorado in 2014 for both parties was almost identical. However, Independent voter participation increased. If Congress enacts mail-in voting and preserves the integrity of the vote - end of story.           

Edited May 26, 2020 by BIGUN
speleling :)

[SkyDekker 1,120]

All while the small issue that Trump committed Voter Fraud and Tax Fraud with his mail in ballot in Florida doesn't get addressed.

[kallend 1,620]

Bad attack of hypocrisy from the current Mouth of Sauron:
 

https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2020/05/27/trump-press-secretary-kayleigh-mcenany-has-voted-by-mail-11-times-in-10-years/

 

Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has voted by mail 11 times in 10 years.

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

26 minutes ago, kallend said:

Bad attack of hypocrisy from the current Mouth of Sauron:
 

https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2020/05/27/trump-press-secretary-kayleigh-mcenany-has-voted-by-mail-11-times-in-10-years/

 

Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has voted by mail 11 times in 10 years.

Hi John,

And you have to love this comment from your link:  'He’s unable to cast his vote down in Florida, his state of residence.'

Hmm, he sure gets down there to golf a lot.

Jerry Baumchen

PS)  My daughter is a blond; IMO McEnany is an embarrassment to all competent  women.

[SkyDekker 1,120]

1 hour ago, JerryBaumchen said:

He’s unable to cast his vote down in Florida, his state of residence.

Which is a problem. Cause Mar-a-Lago cannot be used as a primary residence as per an agreement between trump and the State of Florida when he went through his casino bankruptcies.

 

By doing so, he committed both voter fraud and tax fraud.

[BIGUN 1,048]

My friends on the left are going to love this one. What a Bonehead. 

https://time.com/5843088/west-virginia-mail-carrier-fraud-absentee-ballots/

[BIGUN 1,048]

16 hours ago, SkyDekker said:

Which is a problem. Cause Mar-a-Lago cannot be used as a primary residence as per an agreement between trump and the State of Florida when he went through his casino bankruptcies.

I have to be honest with you. I'm not sure how this is or going to work. Primarily, I don't recall any President changing their residence mid-stream. On that matter, I'm not sure any sitting President could pass the teddy bear test.