I voted. Done deal! Voting methods, today? What say you?

1. 75

   tsmogposted 9 months ago

   On Friday, October 18, 2024, at 8:30 pm PDT I completed my California mail-in ballot. California is 1 of 8 states + DC that is an all-mail ballot state. Perhaps oddly all but one of the states, Vermont, + DC are in the west. All of them represent 19% of the voting-eligible population.
   
   Next, I sealed it in the provided envelope then signed and dated it. It is postage free too. Immediately following I proudly affixed the ’I Voted’ decal/sticker included with my ballot upon my shirt where my heart is and smiled.
   
   I voted on . . .
   ** The president/Vice President (Oh yeah, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was a choice)
   ** Senator . . . Adam Schiff vs. Sports legend Steve Garvey
   ** House representative
   ** State assembly
   ** School, City, and District races
   ** 10 state propositions
   
   Tomorrow, Saturday, the post office across the street from where I live will open at 10 am. Though I know the front door is open now for access at night for post office boxes, I will wait until the morning to mail it. I have the option of an official ballot drop-off box whereupon three are located within 3 miles of my home. Just think, I could have got my morning exercise by walking to one or the other.
   
   Next, I assured my information was correct at the San Diego County Registrar of Voters website landing page ‘Where’s my ballot’. They will email me when it is received. I had the option for text or voice notification as well, but I don’t own a smart/cell phone, so bypassed those. I can always use that website page to check to see if it was received. In the past it always has been received, so I don’t really sweat it.
   
   So, there you have it, my voting experience for the 2024 election/ballot cycle. Phew! Done deal. The only negative is what psychology terms automatic second thoughts. Will I have ‘buyer’s remorse’ in the future? hmmm . . . I suppose everyone may undergo that no matter the method of voting. Then again, perhaps not.
   
   **********
   
   Realizing some are a die-hard vote in person type, I am glad it is done and over. And, there is the battle/controversy of the validity of mail-in ballots to contend with. Also, there is contention on early voting. On that topic seems . . .
   
   Republicans are Losing the Vote-By-Mail Battle in Court by Democracy Docket (Sept 16, 2024)
   https://www.democracydocket.com/analysi … -in-court/
   
   
   
   Also . . .
   
   How Republicans learned to stop worrying and love early voting by The Hill (Sept 6, 2024)
   https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4 … ginia-rnc/
   
   “Republicans have launched multiple initiatives this cycle to encourage their voters to take advantage of the various voting options available before Election Day as they look to cut into Democrats’ advantage on early and mail-in votes. The most prominent one is Swamp the Vote, an initiative of the Republican National Committee (RNC) grassroots organizing program “Trump Force 47” that outlines voting options available across different states.”
   
   **********
   
   Mail-in ballots . . . yea or nay?
   Drop boxes . . . yea or nay?
   Early voting . . . yea or nay?
   In-person voting . . . yea or nay?
   
   Thoughts, criticisms, accolades, and/or commentary?

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   1. 75

      wildernessposted 9 months agoin reply to this

      Question, for my own curiosity.
      
      Did you request a ballot?  You mention the registrar online visit - was that necessary?  What happens if you don't verify your address - will a ballot be mailed anyway?  What if you have no online access to verify?
      
      I'm concerned about ballots simply mailed willy nilly to anyone on a decades old list.  How does California address the problem?  Or does it refuse to acknowledge that possibility it is mailing ballots to someone that moved, died, etc.?

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      1. 75

         tsmogposted 9 months agoin reply to this

         "Did you request a ballot?"
         
         Back somewhere around 2011 I changed my party ID to 'No Party Preference' online at the State of California website. I was offered the opportunity to vote by mail with the form. At that time anyone preferring to vote by mail had to make a request. California became an all mail-in ballot state Sept 2021.
         
         "You mention the registrar online visit - was that necessary?"
         
         No. However, I desired to assure my settings for notification my ballot was received was correct, e.g. my email address.
         
         "What happens if you don't verify your address - will a ballot be mailed anyway?"
         
         Part A - I don't know. Good question.
         Part B - California is all-mail ballot state as mentioned in the OP. Ballots are mailed to all registered voters from what I understand.
         
         "What if you have no online access to verify?"
         
         From Check Your Voter Registration Status it states, "Don't remember if you're registered to vote? Need to check what name you're registered under or what political party you're registered with? Check your registration status online at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
         
         Then, "Some county elections officials also allow you to check the status of your voter registration through their website, by telephone, or both."
         
         That is followed with the information for the different counties.
         
         For the last paragraph the link next is . . .
         
         Maintaining an Accurate Voter List
         https://ocvote.gov/registration/maintai … voter-list
         
         [Edit: My apology the above is for Orange County of California. It seems it is up to the counties to maintain voter rolls in coordination with the state. That would seem to be the case since ballots are tailored to the individual voter as shared with the picture of my return envelope for the ballot with my name printed on it. And, that the local races were for my city only as well as representative races for my region such as state assembly. Pretty sophisticated as I see it.]
         
         I hope that answers what you are seeking.

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2. 91

   Venkatachari Mposted 9 months ago

   So, Tim, you voted so early (17 days ahead) of the 5th November polling date.
   Now, you are free from the tensions of voting and the conflict between decisions and indecisions.

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   1. 75

      tsmogposted 9 months agoin reply to this

      Yup, you are right, Venkat, I do have a feeling of relief it is done now.
      
      Doing a mail-in ballot meant I sat at my desk with my computer and researched whatever pleased me. Mainly I researched local candidates, local measures such as increasing the sales tax in my city for infrastructure, and my state of California propositions. I did start that process a couple of weeks ago when the ballot material arrived in the mail.
      
      Do you have early voting and mail-in voting in India? What do you think about those two?

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3. 91

   Venkatachari Mposted 9 months ago

   We do not have an early voting facility. Postal voting is allowed under certain circumstances such as senior citizens (above 80 years), people with disabilities, or who are seriously ill, persons engaged in electoral duty or electoral media coverage, military personnel and other emergency services personnel, etc. These people can utilize the postal ballot option.

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4. 75

   tsmogposted 9 months ago

   For the curious, a snapshot of the return envelope backside for the mail-in ballot in California. Seen is my signature that will be matched to mine on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Also, note, my name is imprinted on the backside, my address, and some alpha-numerical print. What the coding is I have no idea. The front side is the color yellow with the address for the county voting registrar/election offices and return address also to the county registrar/election offices plus business/organization postage.
   
   

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5. 68

   Kathleen Cochranposted 9 months ago

   In Georgia if you are over 65 when you apply for a ballot (requiring your drivers license number or social security number)you automatically get an absentee ballot for every election that election cycle.

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6. 71

   Ken Burgessposted 9 months ago

   Its not the Mail in Ballots per say that are the problem.
   
   It is the states, like PA, that allow Ballots to come in and be counted days after the election... nothing allows for fraud more than ballots that are not accounted for and processed prior to the election results being known... and how many ballots need to be FOUND to get the election results wanted.
   
   We will see how the Democrat controlled PA does this time around... another election where we go to bed with Trump up by several hundred thousand votes, and then days after the election they find enough votes (I believe the ones they needed in 2020 were shipped by van from a warehouse somewhere in NY... or so the rumor goes) to get the results they wanted.
   
   As the laws on the books in PA haven't changed, despite no Pandemic this time around, I would expect the same scenario to play out again.
   
   There is a simple solution to make it so there is no real issue with fraud or the perception of fraud... just discount ANY ballot that does not arrive prior to or on the day of the election.  Problem solved.
   
   If you can't get your ballot in on time... it doesn't deserve to be counted.
   
   The rest of America deserves an election result beyond reproach... we have no such process today.

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7. 72

   abwilliamsposted 9 months ago

   Hear, hear.

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8. 69

   IslandBitesposted 9 months ago

   SMH
   
   Never forget. Oct 31, 2020.
   
   And what trump's going to do is just declare victory, right, he's going to declare a victory.
   But that doesn't mean he's the winner. He's just going to say he's the winner.
   
   The democrats, more of our people vote early that count, theirs voted mail and so they're going to have a natural disadvantage. And trump's going to take advantage of that.
   
   That's our strategy. He's going to clear himself a winner, so when you wake up Wednesday morning, it's going to be a firestorm. You're we're gonna have antifa crazy, the media, crazy, the courts are crazy. And Trump's gonna be sitting there, mocking, tweeting
   shit out: "You lose. I'm the winner. I'm the king."
   
   And he'll be all over Hillary, he'll be going "where's Hunter? Is Hunter on a crack pipe?" I mean, no he'll be... Because then it doesn't matter. Remember, here's the thing. After, then Trump never has to go to a voter again. He's gonna fire Wray, the FBI director... He's going to say f*ck you! How about that? Because he's never gonna he's,he's done his last election. Oh, he's gonna be off the chain. He's going to be crazy.
   
   Also, also, if Trump is, if Trump is losing by 10 or 11 o'clock at night, it's going to be even crazier. No, because he's gonna sit right there and say "they stole it". "I'm directing the attorney general to shut down all ballot places in all 50 states." It's going to be, (laughs) no,  he's not going out easy. if biden's winning, Trump is going to do some crazy shit.
   
   
   Almost 100% word by word. Some people are so stupid.

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   1. 71

      Ken Burgessposted 9 months agoin reply to this

      Nah, not stupid.
      
      Easily duped and manipulated perhaps.
      
      Gullible enough to believe what is fed to them by the very institutions and pillars of information that society has been weaned on.
      
      Very hard for people to be able to disconnect and see what is... usually takes something really dramatic to 'shock' them into seeing reality.
      
      Then there is another aspect to that, one that was a primary concept to the Matrix movie... many people, even if told the truth, would choose to remain in denial.

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      1. 69

         IslandBitesposted 9 months agoin reply to this

         Yup. Almost 100% word by word.
         
         
         Cue Alanis Morissette.

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   2. 69

      IslandBitesposted 9 months agoin reply to this

      Just for fun. A DARE.
      
      AUDIO
      
      AI!?

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      1. 71

         Ken Burgessposted 9 months agoin reply to this

         But its Bannon... he had been cast out by Trump, I don't think Bannon made it a year with him...
         
         Trump had a couple of guys like him around him early on... but WTF did Trump know about politics or the Presidency, he was out of his league...
         
         The guy adjusted, got rid of some bad apples, got stabbed in the back by some others... but even with all his stumbling and bumbling through the Halls of DC... he did some good things and tried on others...
         
         And now he has Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, RFK Jr... etc... backing him up, these are the people that will work with him to run the country...
         
         Its very different this time around... a much better Trump team....
         
         And what the consequences will be if they don't get in... has never looked more dire in any election I remember.
         
         In the balance... could very well be our march into WWIII... or to finding peace.

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