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Don't Vote Absentee on February 5

by: huntsu

Sat Dec 22, 2007 at 08:19:59 AM EST

A couple years ago the state removed the requirement that you had to have a reason to vote absentee, and now lets anyone vote by mail. If you just don't like your poll workers, would rather hang with your kids, have a party to go to, or want to be sure there's a paper trail you can vote early via absentee.

Normally I am all for this. The paper trail is a big part of it, as is the potential for bringing in more voters.

But the February 5th Presidential Primary is different, with the relative strength of various candidates determined in contests that are over an public before ours even starts. By the time they get to us, the outsided Iowa and New Hampshire primaries will be over. Michigan and Florida, with huge delegate counts that may or may not matter in the convention predate ours. Nevada and South Carolina are considered really important as representatives of the newly important Southwest and the always important South.

With all those contests done by February 5, some candidates may drop out or be totally marginalized. If you cast your vote for Richardson -- not a bad vote and just an example -- and he's dropped out after Florida and throws his support to Hillary your vote is wasted.

Or the race could be different, with someone new surging like Chris Dodd (again, example!) who you wanted to support but thought had no shot. If you sent in your abssentee ballot for Edwards (also just an example) who got crushed in early primaries in this case but liked Dodd better, your vote is not what you really want.

Or if you don't really care who wins but want to see a longer race you might cast your vote for the #3 candidate to give them more support.

Who knows?! We won't really until after Florida on January 29th where it is all shaking out, and less than a week later it's our primary along with a ton of others.

In short, I am suggesting that we all hold our fire until February 5 and we know what's going on and who's leading/fading/surging. Casting an absentee ballot early could marginalize your vote, and doesn't really save all that much time.

Of course, if you do have to be out of town or can't get to the polling place use the absentee ballot. But if it's just convenience or a paper trail you're looking for I suggest it's more important to cast a vote when you have all the facts.

What do you think?

huntsu :: Don't Vote Absentee on February 5

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Don't Vote Absentee on February 5 | 6 comments

Perspective (0.00 / 0)

Waiting is fine for those of us who know that we will take the time to vote on February 5th even if there is a foot of snow on the ground.

However, it would have been much better from both a financial and turnout perspective for this to be a vote by mail (VBM) primary. It would have given us a chance to work out the kinks in a relatively harmless situation.

Supposedly this primary will cost more than $10.5 million. It would have been possible to save a third of that and we likely would have had a higher turnout.

by: Creed Pogue @ Sat Dec 22, 2007 at 15:46:38 PM UTC

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That's all decided (0.00 / 0)

But that's all decided and the primary is happening like the primary is happening.

The diary is suggesting something we should do given the primary we have, not the primary we want. :-)

by: huntsu @ Sat Dec 22, 2007 at 17:22:51 PM UTC

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should still VBM (0.00 / 0)

For all the problems of vote by mail, we will still get a higher turnout with it. Nothing prevents someone from waiting until Florida and then mailing in their ballot. You would still have a week to mail it in.

Of course, all of this assumes that the race won't be pretty much decided by NJ anyway.

By the way, the state Supreme Court ruled that Lautenberg could replace Torricelli with only 34 days to go before the election and yet absentees were printed and the machines were ready. For this, you would only have to mail an absentee to everybody and let them take it from there.

by: Creed Pogue @ Sat Dec 22, 2007 at 17:59:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

How are delegates apportioned (0.00 / 0)

under our system?

by: Wesleylake @ Sun Dec 23, 2007 at 02:32:40 AM UTC

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Apportioned (0.00 / 0)

Do you mean how many delegates are elected per delegate district (paired legislative districts)? three to five depending on the past Democratic vote and registration.

Do you mean what percentage it takes to elect a delegate? you must have 15% as a minimum for the at-large delegates, but to win district delegates you are going to need something closer to 25%.

by: Creed Pogue @ Sun Dec 23, 2007 at 05:35:29 AM UTC

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primaries (0.00 / 0)

Richardson is not going to drop out and endorse Hillary. It might happen the other way around. Hillary could be out of the race by the end of New Hampshire.

by: proud2Bliberal @ Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 05:52:04 AM UTC

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Don't Vote Absentee on February 5 | 6 comments