DU Stupid ideas department: Nation Voting Holiday. (repuglithugs fault)

[dutch508]

LakeVermilion (146 posts) http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027619339

Why don't we have a national holiday to vote? Its probably been discussed here a lot, but we really need legislation to get this done. It should be a part of any Democratic candidate's platform.

Because if they gave you a day off your get drunk as piss the night before and be stoned all day and forget to show up to vote.

Jester Messiah (3,433 posts)
1. That would make the oligarchs nervous. [nt]

 

HereSince1628 (34,066 posts)
4. Just one holiday? Wouldn't we also need--the National Photo ID holiday?

if it was a national holiday then who would be issuing the national photo IDs?

CincyDem (1,148 posts)
5. hahahahahahahahah...sorry I couldn't resist
We don't have a national holiday to vote because, well...then more people would vote.

Active voter suppression via ID laws, polling place "issues", etc are a fundamental Republican strategy.
Passive voter suppression via alienating people from the process or trying to sell false equivalence between the parties (i.e. your vote won't matter) is also part of it.

When people participate in the voting process, the future wins and traditionally, the future favors the Democratic party platforms.

As long as Rethugs control states, this will never happen.

 

[Skul]

Because if they gave you a day off your get drunk as piss the night before and be stoned all day and forget to show up to vote.

Squinting the eyes, trying to see the down side to that.

[Patriot Guard Rider]

Actually, I'm a fan of everyone voting at the same time. DemocRATS then can't go with the rolling vote across the country to see how many votes they need to win.

In other words, voting in eastern time begins at 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. At the same time, Hawaii starts voting at 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. NO projections, NO polls, nothing. Media silence until the polls close.

As an aside, does anyone wonder why Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), is always the LAST to report in Ohio? (Hint: They're seeing how many votes the Dem nominee needs to win Ohio).

[franksolich]

Actually, I'm a fan of everyone voting at the same time. DemocRATS then can't go with the rolling vote across the country to see how many votes they need to win.

In other words, voting in eastern time begins at 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. At the same time, Hawaii starts voting at 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. NO projections, NO polls, nothing. Media silence until the polls close.

As an aside, does anyone wonder why Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), is always the LAST to report in Ohio? (Hint: They're seeing how many votes the Dem nominee needs to win Ohio).

^^^yeah, that.

That pisses me off, the way that works; I'll never forget the U.S. Senate race down in Missouri back in 2006, when the St. Louis machine waited until all the usually-Republican counties had submitted their totals, and then manufactured enough votes to topple the Republican incumbent.

I think that, at the very least, in any state, no precinct should be allowed to post numbers until all precincts are ready to, and then they all get released at exactly the same split-second.

As the vote-counting in blue cities seems to be retarded, this would mean rural places would have to hold back, but that's okay.  They could hold back until the blue cities are ready.

[Patriot Guard Rider]

^^^yeah, that.

That pisses me off, the way that works; I'll never forget the U.S. Senate race down in Missouri back in 2006, when the St. Louis machine waited until all the usually-Republican counties had submitted their totals, and then manufactured enough votes to topple the Republican incumbent.

I think that, at the very least, in any state, no precinct should be allowed to post numbers until all precincts are ready to, and then they all get released at exactly the same split-second.

As the vote-counting in blue cities seems to be retarded, this would mean rural places would have to hold back, but that's okay.  They could hold back until the blue cities are ready.

OR, 2000 when the media called Florida for Gore BEFORE the polls closed in the conservative panhandle (Due to time difference. Florida has two time zones), thereby suppressing their vote. Their plan, considering Nader was siphoning votes from Gore, almost worked to perfection.

[Celtic Rose]

A lot of areas now have a vote by mail option, and people still can't manage to get their ballot in the mailbox by the deadline.  Why on earth would anybody need a full day off for something that takes about 15 minutes?  If voting isn't enough of a priority to get to the polling place for 15 minutes, then it isn't going to be enough of priority to take time out of a day off to vote.  More likely, people will use it as a day to spend with family or get drunk. 

[Patriot Guard Rider]

A lot of areas now have a vote by mail option, and people still can't manage to get their ballot in the mailbox by the deadline.  Why on earth would anybody need a full day off for something that takes about 15 minutes?  If voting isn't enough of a priority to get to the polling place for 15 minutes, then it isn't going to be enough of priority to take time out of a day off to vote. More likely, people will use it as a day to spend with family or get drunk.

Those would be democRAPS, who would then complain that, even though they had the entire day off, for some reason they STILL couldn't get to the polls, and were therefore, "disenfranchised".

Liberals disgust me.

[dutch508]

Those would be democRAPS, who would then complain that, even though they had the entire day off, for some reason they STILL couldn't get to the polls, and were therefore, "disenfranchised".

Liberals disgust me.

They would argue that it would be wrong to force them on a holiday to have to go vote and so require another day off to do so--- then they would complain about having to go vote on that holiday...

[Big Dog]

A lot of areas now have a vote by mail option, and people still can't manage to get their ballot in the mailbox by the deadline.  Why on earth would anybody need a full day off for something that takes about 15 minutes?  If voting isn't enough of a priority to get to the polling place for 15 minutes, then it isn't going to be enough of priority to take time out of a day off to vote.  More likely, people will use it as a day to spend with family or get drunk.

Hey, stranger! It's good to see you.

[67 Rover]

Actually, I'm a fan of everyone voting at the same time. DemocRATS then can't go with the rolling vote across the country to see how many votes they need to win.

In other words, voting in eastern time begins at 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. At the same time, Hawaii starts voting at 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. NO projections, NO polls, nothing. Media silence until the polls close.

As an aside, does anyone wonder why Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), is always the LAST to report in Ohio? (Hint: They're seeing how many votes the Dem nominee needs to win Ohio).

I would like them to count the military vote period.

[Patriot Guard Rider]

I would like them to count the military vote period.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Gore try and throw out thousands of military votes because of the date stamp on the envelope?

[67 Rover]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Gore try and throw out thousands of military votes because of the date stamp on the envelope?

Nothing to correct. You are not wrong. 

DUmmies are all about so called disenfranchised voters except when it comes to the military.

[zeitgeist]

Memory fails as we age but I swear when I was a little kid it was illegal to sell liquor until after the polls closed on election day.  Is this one of those false recovered memories I am having? Anyone else remember this. 

[Big Dog]

Memory fails as we age but I swear when I was a little kid it was illegal to sell liquor until after the polls closed on election day.  Is this one of those false recovered memories I am having? Anyone else remember this.

Varies by state.

[Patriot Guard Rider]

Memory fails as we age but I swear when I was a little kid it was illegal to sell liquor until after the polls closed on election day.  Is this one of those false recovered memories I am having? Anyone else remember this.

No. I believe I was in Indiana (but it could have been in any one of the many states I've been to) and stopped in to buy a six-pack. I was refused until the polls closed. the line outside the store at 7 p.m. was about 30 long.

[Karin]

Hi CR!  Nice to see you again!

I think that's a stupid idea, restricting beer and liquor sales till the polls close.  That's treating people like children, assuming the worst in them.  It's also restricting commerce, which I am dead set against.  If somebody wants to tie one on, they'll go the day before anyway and stock up. 

It's also a stupid idea of having a whole holiday just for elections.  The DUmmies are always looking for time off.  Lazy bastards.  It takes just a few moments. 

[Patriot Guard Rider]

Hi CR!  Nice to see you again!

I think that's a stupid idea, restricting beer and liquor sales till the polls close.  That's treating people like children, assuming the worst in them.  It's also restricting commerce, which I am dead set against.  If somebody wants to tie one on, they'll go the day before anyway and stock up. 

It's also a stupid idea of having a whole holiday just for elections.  The DUmmies are always looking for time off.  Lazy bastards.  It takes just a few moments.

I once worked for a company, where you had to put in leave time to go vote. If you put in 3 hours, and then had to drive 60 miles to the polling place in your county, stand in line, then drive back and you went over 3 hours, you got docked UNLESS you put in unpaid O/T to make up for it.

They caught holy hell for that policy and it's since been rescinded

I always left at the normal time, did my driving and usually got to the polls before they closed, given Atlanta rush hour traffic.

[Karin]

^^ That's pretty shitty.  I'm surprised at the 60 miles to drive though.  I've never experienced that.  It's always at a local school or fire hall, right near home.  I just vote right after work.  And since nobody here gets all bent out of shape about religion, churches are used as polling places as well.  Nobody is inconvenienced at all. 

[Patriot Guard Rider]

^^ That's pretty shitty.  I'm surprised at the 60 miles to drive though.  I've never experienced that.  It's always at a local school or fire hall, right near home.  I just vote right after work.  And since nobody here gets all bent out of shape about religion, churches are used as polling places as well.  Nobody is inconvenienced at all.

I had to vote in my county at my polling place. Since I worked in downtown Atlanta, it took that long to get there. "Normal" rush hour traffic in Atlanta can be a 2 hour commute, not including rain or snow. Like I said, that policy was revoked and now you go vote and you get to work when you get there.

[Delmar]

I just voted last week in a Wisconsin state supreme court primary and school board election.  I'll vote again in April in the presidential primary.  And again in November for the general election. It seems like I'm always voting for something.  Should every one of these be a day off?  Or just once every four years when the leftists get to pick their latest, once in a lifetime, He's too good for us Mama, savior of the world?  What a bunch of stupid SOBs. 

I have been voting for a lot of years and I have never spent more than 15 minutes inside the polling place. 

Not a single time, never.