I'll say something truly controversial: I can't be bothered to stand in line on election day.
For the past 2 decades I've researched the laws on absentee ballots in every state I've lived in, and usually found a legal reason to request one. (It's particularly easy in California -- absentee ballots are available on request to anyone. If I forget to mail my ballot I can drop it in the box at any polling place in the state.)
Voting is an important right that I'm proud to exercise. Standing in line to vote is something I'll avoid.
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I don't have any problem with that. The important thing is to vote; not "how". Here in Colorado, I've actually been encouraged to get on the permanent mail-in ballot list; I think they consider those more likely to be used. -rc
Posted by
Danny from Oregon on July 12, 2008:
As a response to the comment by Aliza in California, all voting in Oregon is done by mail.
Posted by
Paul, Winchester, England on July 13, 2008:
I often help out one of the political parties here around election time, dropping leaflets through letterboxes, and sometimes dropping "don't forget to vote today" cards through on polling day.
On many times I have said to people I meet something along the lines of "even if you don't want to vote for THIS party, please remember to just go and VOTE".
In England, there is no excuse to NOT vote: as long as you take action when the official voting cards arrive, you can get a postal vote.
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I've said it before, but it bears repeating: If you DO like what the people who represent you are doing, you agree with them, you support their efforts, then you owe it to them to vote for them. If you DON'T like what they're doing, you owe it to everyone (including yourself) to vote for someone else. To do nothing, and then whine about the state of affairs, is absurd. If you don't vote, you have no basis to complain about things. So vote, or shut up. There is no other alternative. -rc
Why You Need to Vote - Comments
Posted by Aliza, California on July 11, 2008:
I'll say something truly controversial: I can't be bothered to stand in line on election day.
For the past 2 decades I've researched the laws on absentee ballots in every state I've lived in, and usually found a legal reason to request one. (It's particularly easy in California -- absentee ballots are available on request to anyone. If I forget to mail my ballot I can drop it in the box at any polling place in the state.)
Voting is an important right that I'm proud to exercise. Standing in line to vote is something I'll avoid.
---
I don't have any problem with that. The important thing is to vote; not "how". Here in Colorado, I've actually been encouraged to get on the permanent mail-in ballot list; I think they consider those more likely to be used. -rc
Posted by Danny from Oregon on July 12, 2008:
As a response to the comment by Aliza in California, all voting in Oregon is done by mail.
Posted by Paul, Winchester, England on July 13, 2008:
I often help out one of the political parties here around election time, dropping leaflets through letterboxes, and sometimes dropping "don't forget to vote today" cards through on polling day.
On many times I have said to people I meet something along the lines of "even if you don't want to vote for THIS party, please remember to just go and VOTE".
In England, there is no excuse to NOT vote: as long as you take action when the official voting cards arrive, you can get a postal vote.
---
I've said it before, but it bears repeating: If you DO like what the people who represent you are doing, you agree with them, you support their efforts, then you owe it to them to vote for them. If you DON'T like what they're doing, you owe it to everyone (including yourself) to vote for someone else. To do nothing, and then whine about the state of affairs, is absurd. If you don't vote, you have no basis to complain about things. So vote, or shut up. There is no other alternative. -rc
Read the article that everyone's commenting on, or post a comment about it.