Since the Presidential election, state legislators (aka sore losers) have conducted numerous hearings on our election. They've heard from Sore-Loser-in-Chief Donald Trump. They listened attentively to Rudy Giuliani. And have done nothing. What they should be doing is addressing two problems identified by the county officials who actually count the votes.
First, state legislators need to allow elections officials to begin the pre-canvass of mail-in ballots (MIB) a few days before the actual election. The County Comm'rs Ass'n of Pa. would like to begin the process three weeks before election day. I'd agree that's too long. It's likely that word would leak out and this could affect the election. But I believe a strictly controlled process, starting three days before the election, would worker. To prevent a leak, the elections officials involved could be sequestered, just like a jury, until the polls close.
Second, the cut-off to apply for MIB needs to end earlier than it does now. Currently, a voter can apply for a MIB as late as seven days before the election. This requires elections officials to process and mail the ballot. The post office is also rushed. As you might expect, some voters will get their MIB after the election. Many who get tired of waiting will go to the polls and vote provisionally, which burdens pollworkers and is often completed with mistakes. The cut-off to apply for a MIB should be two weeks prior to the election.
Ability to request a MIB up to 7 days from the election is insane. Should be 2 weeks or maybe 3. Sequestration of election workers is also insane.
ReplyDeleteI say eliminate mail-in ballots. Other than for the military, others out of the country for legitimate purposes at election time, or the truly infirm, they're for crooks@
ReplyDeleteTRUMP won he is the true President
ReplyDeleteYep And Trump used tear gas to clear an area to hold a Bible upside down, and colluded with,,,,,,,Tic-tic-tic-tic-,,,,
ReplyDeleteI agree with all suggestions, but they (state legislature) won’t do anything, Donny doesn’t like it
ReplyDeleteGood suggestions. I'd like to see just two days instead of three. In either case, it will change campaigns and elections because counts will slip out. Sequestering is great suggestion and better/easier for two days than three. While Trumpy is certainly a sore loser, Hillary continues to peddle her Russian conspiracy to explain how she lost five years ago. That launched years of investigation and she's as sore a loser today as election night in 2016. Also see Al Gore. I don't think sore loser pols should keep voters from the task of improving both access to and integrity of elections.
ReplyDeleteI fully support this proposal!
ReplyDelete2 weeks might step on some peoples toes as being a little too far out from election day, but think most people requesting MIBs sort of know further in advance if they want to vote that way or not by that point. The only people burdened by that timeline would be people with unexpected travel popping up and of course the disorganized procrastinators living among us.
The 3 day pre canvas is an excellent idea which would allow time for accuracy, curing and timely reporting of results. I am sure any number of measures could be put in place to minimize any leaked results.
Maybe the best way to solve the problem of MIB is to eliminate them and go to the polls like the old days and vote in person. If necessary add voting places. If people need rides to the polls--designate pick up places and i'm sure there will be lots of folks willing to help take them to the polls just like years ago before MIB.
ReplyDelete" Sequestration of election workers is also insane."
ReplyDeleteThat has only been suggested by me. I know how bad most officials are at keeping secrets. In most cases, this is good for me as a blogger. But not with election results. If elections officials want a head start, and I'd agree they need one, everyone involved would need to be sequestered to ensure that results are not leaked.
If politicians were truly interested in getting out the vote they would start by either moving election day to a Saturday or even declaring a national holiday so more people would be able to vote. They are not and we will never see this happen.
ReplyDeleteAs far as those who feel people should be willing to make the sacrifice by standing in line or not receiving water to enjoy their right to vote; I'm all for sacrifice for the right to vote thru volunteer military or civil service. "What we obtain too cheaply we esteem too lightly". But these suppressive tactics which are being espoused by politicians and others these days are those who care nothing of personal sacrifice for their country or fellow citizens and care only that the system should hinder or block the votes of the opposition.
I think we need to take a step back further and the first thing we need to do is set residency limits for politicians. Say at the local level they must live in the county as a full time resident for a minimum of 3 years. For those going to a state level they must live in the region they represent for 5 years. And if they are from the state and headed to a federal representation make it 10 years. NO haggling or ways around it.
ReplyDeleteNext The rules to an election need to be established and must be set a minimum of 2 years prior to the next upcoming election. It would help to resolve some of the BS about politicians changing the rules and then crying about them. And oh by the way if a politician voted to approve the rules as many did in PA then started crying about them (as many did during this past election after the fact. (Sidenote: The republicans in the PA level senate passed laws which at the time which then they wanted changed again because it did not me their cause after the fact.) They should be required to go on public record and justify their change of thought.
Third any redistricting should not take effect until the 3rd election from the third election from implementation (6 years) or they should be carved out in a grid pattern an not be allowed to change. They are only rewritten for one purposes and that is to develop artificially improved odds. Look at Monroe county which is carved up some being part of Pike some part of Northampton, and other parts being torn out into other voting districts. It is simply BS and those who think otherwise are only manipulative.
An now onto voting. 1st off voter fraud should be dealt with harshly. 5 years in jail for every count of voter fraud and by a count for every falsified vote put in by someone.
Second they should make the rules for voting simple for all. Politician cry about MIB and distance voting however they are some of the biggest offenders. most politicians above the local level ever really vote in person. Heck Trump utilized MIB and most of his family did and a large number of his appointees during and before his tenure.
Set the rules so they are not grey but yet can be achieve. I voted MIB during this last election and it was a real bunch of horseshit. The instructions were BS and lead you to screw up. Many are whining about the dating and heck it never said you had to date it. It just gave a blank spot for the date. And the outer envelope had even worse instructions.
OLD SCHOOL WORKS! Just like our educational system of today, it needs to get back to basics and regain the trust of the people. Nothing wrong with ID to prove who you are, unless you are hiding something. Need it for everything else .
ReplyDeleteThe Lehigh Township, Northampton County election reforms should be implemented immediately. They will prevent fraud an ensure an honest election for all citizens.
ReplyDeleteSo how did we manage all of those years of voting without hearing voter suppression theories? Voting is a privilege that doesn't have to be made easy. It has to be accurate and might involve sacrifice to go vote. That's what makes our country great. Having said that.. I strongly support having to show identification. That's just smart not suppression
ReplyDeleteThe Loser is Biden. No way in heck he won legitimately. The man could not draw flies.
ReplyDeleteThe more time you allow for voting and the more days the process is allowed to run, the more chances for fraud and manipulation. We have to stop this monkey business. There is no reason for able bodied people to NOT vote in person, with proper ID, at their polling places. People with legitimate reasons for not doing so have proper recourse. We are allowing all kinds inconsequential reasons to water down and make our election process questionable. It needs to stop. The one thing I would be in favor of is adding A weekend day for people who can't make it on a weekday. No more of these weeks long processes and delays.
Every reasonable person knows the Democrats used the chaos of Covid as a means to completely muck up and mess up our election process. It should not be allowed to continue or have this hackery put into law that is in direct violation of our Constitution (State and Federal).
If anybody thinks politicians will solve our problems I got a bridge to sell you
ReplyDeleteWE must make our election law back into compliance with the Constitution of the United States. No more stolen elections. You need to make an effort to vote. The truth is out there.
ReplyDeleteBernie you need to be sequestered!
ReplyDeleteI don't think incumbents, i.e. election winners, have much interest in changing whatever system got them the job. Winners make the rules.
ReplyDeleteI see the Trump cult has weighed in big time. From Lehigh Township on east and south. The election was stolen! (it wasn't, so says every judge including a few Trump appointees) Voting should be hard! (really? I though we lived in a democracy where the voice of the people was heard through their vote. So make it harder for the people to speak?) Sorry folks, when your guy won, we didn't start a violent insurrection or make constant claims about the election being stolen. We didn't like it that we had a crude, egotistical, nut as president, but we didn't deny the democratic process. Suck it up cupcakes, your guy lost fair and square. Whoever your next candidate is for office, let's just make sure the elections are well run and give any registered voter who wants to vote the opportunity to do so. Just because your guy didn't win, doesn't mean it wasn't fair. As adults in a democracy you should know that.
ReplyDelete"Just because your guy didn't win, doesn't mean it wasn't fair. As adults in a democracy you should know that."
ReplyDeleteAgree. But "adults" in a democracy have been whining about 2000 and 2016 being stolen for the last 21 and 5 years, respectively. It will never stop. Sore losers gonna sore, regardless of party affiliation. Adults in a democracy understand this and know their particular side has no monopoly on this terrible behavior.
Yeah 10:07, but in 2016 and 2000 the adults who lost didn't launch a violent insurrection against the government. Be honest, the reaction by Republicans in continuing to perpetuate a lie that has been deemed so by even Trump appointed judges is over the top and dangerous to our democracy. And since you bring up 2000, can you imagine what the Republican response would be now if 2016 election had been decided in the way it was in 2000??? Trump denied because of a count stopped by the Supreme Court??? Please, do not equate the Dems behavior with the Republicans on this issue.
ReplyDelete@10:07 - whining and open insurrection are two different things. Neither Gore or Hillary (or Congressional Dems either time) boldy questioned the results, slow walked acknowledging who won or continued propagating straight up falsehoods that created doubt for half the country about the validity of an institution our country was founded on.
ReplyDeleteI agree that neither party has a monopoly on poor behavior, but it sure seems like Republicans have heavily upped the ante this go around.
Eventually we will find out that Trump was the deepest plant that Russia has ever had in the United States and because of the way the laws and things are done in this country we survived a hostile take over attempt toward a dictatorship and bowing down to Putin. Putin has publicly stated that he was glad trump was president and during that same time said numerous things that when listened to through European news could be considered that he had the president under his finger for any number of reasons. The biggest one however was that he controlled trumps purse strings.
ReplyDelete