i live in NC where we've already started voting, and from what i hear (i haven't voted yet) the lines to vote are 3 and 4 hours long. i've heard similar reports in florida and other places which have early voting.
are these votes going to be considered in the exit polls the news stations use to predict who wins the election? last election FOX's decision to go with Bush had a major impact on the process of the election (with gore throwing the towell in and then taking it back, etc), and i think we know that perception is 90% of reality these days, so does anyone know anything about the process by which early votes will be considered?
obviously this relates only to media coverage, not the actual voting process, but i'm still curious. especially with florida being such a critical state, i'd like to know what's going on.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I voted today, and there certainly weren't any pollsters around. Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
I'm REALLY hoping that this year, the news stations don't call states until the polls are closed in all areas of that state.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Why do you single out Fox's calling the state for Bush? CBS had already called the state for Gore at that point, before the polls closed in the central time zone sections of Florida.
Dagonee
Posted by MEC (Member # 2968) on :
I was thinking the same thing, dagonee.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
We have early voting here, but apparently there aren't many people lining up at city hall yet. And as far as I know, the results aren't considered in exit polls. But it's not like it matters; I already know who's going to take the city, county, and state. Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
We're a battleground state (that's been edging more and more towards Bush lately) so I'm interested to see where we fall. Our voting has already begun, but the ballots are mail-in.
Which reminds me. I need to go mail mine!!
Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :
Get your facts right, FOX originally called Florida for Gore and was one the last networks to retract their claim.
More important than early voting may be absentee voting with the incredibly high number of requests this year. There's no way on November 3 we're going to know who won this election.
Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
We probably will, however, who won the popular vote. Long live democracy.
--j_k
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
Embassies are having trouble getting absentee ballots to civilian's overseas this year... its, kinda annoying.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
I seriously don't like early voting and the trend towards voting absentee. It opens far too many avenues for cheating.
I think you should have to show you ID when you vote at the polls and any absentee ballots should be checked to see if the person is A> An actual person. B> Alive. C> Not a felon. D> A citizen of this country E> Not registered anywhere else.
You'll still have the voter fraud where the person registers an invalid or braindead person and simply fills out their absentee ballot for them, but at least you won't have Mickey Mouse, John Wayne, Javier Jemenez and Jeffrey Dahlmer voting. And you won't have people voting in both New York and Florida as tens of thousands of people did in 2000.
This is also why I don't like "voter registration drives" or "motor voter." You should have to go down to the courthouse and show an ID just to register. There have been cases of people filling out voter registration cards for people of the opposite party showing they had moved so when the actual person shows up to vote they're told they're not registered at that poling place.
Voter fraud threatens what this country is all about. Cheating to win elections SHOULD be punishable by life in prison and SHOULD be prosecuted every time it happens. However, no one is going to prosecute someone who helps them get elected and no one is going to go after the other side either because that LOOKS worse than the actual fraud. Like the winner is throwing the opposition in jail as soon as they get into power. The only way to stop fraud is to prevent it before it happens. Instead we make it easier and easier every election.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
We have to show voter registration cards or photo ID to take part in early voting here. We're actually supposed to have them every time we vote, but in practice, they don't check on election day.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
I'm interested to see what the overall voter turnout is this year. I think 75% would be good. Is early voting new this year? I remember worrying about a lady who was having a baby last presidential election day.
I showed up to vote one year, it was probably 2001, and our precinct wasn't open because there was nothing to vote on.
In 92 I didn't vote because I was living in a military hospital in Turkey.
Posted by Boris (Member # 6935) on :
quote: I think you should have to show you ID when you vote at the polls
What's funny is that the NAACP considers this practice to be completely racist because it discourages African American votes. Funny, huh?
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