Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Sometimes The Clouds Part...

Reading this I understand why Republicans don't like mail-in ballots.

You can't harass someone in their home while they fill in a ballot.

Personally I think Congress should make it the law of the land that for federal elections (which would impact state and local, too, because why have two systems?), all ballots should be mailed in, and all registered voters should receive a ballot at the address where they are registered.

Easy-peasy.

Of course, in Texas, that would mean a rather hefty cost for postage, since the ballots should be in pre-paid return envelopes.  My ballot this year ran to four large (larger than 8 1/2 x 14) pages, each printed on both sides, with 28 offices per side to vote for, plus some local bond issues, and to be safe I put 4 "Forever" stamps on it.  It took more than a few minutes to fill out, but there was no one waiting while I dialed the voting machine (the kind we use here are a pain for anything over voting for one or two offices; and we always have 50-100 offices to elect every two years, not to mention school board elections and municipal ones, which are never on election day for state or federal offices) through 100+ offices looking to cast my vote correctly.  Sitting down with pen and paper was the only way to be sure I had it right.

And nobody came to my door to check my ID and be sure I wasn't "cheating."  Of course I'm as white as a sheet of paper and look like a Republican (in my youth when I was working for a law firm and wore a suit every day, I went to vote in the primaries after work.  Both parties' primaries were in the same building and as I walked up a lawyer I recognized started to hand me some political literature then muttered "Republican" and stepped back. The insult was so grave I almost hit him, but instead took his pamphlet and asked him where the Democratic votes were being cast. 40 years ago and I still haven't forgotten that.)  So nobody is going to mistake me for the "wrong voter" anyway, but given these massive ballots it's going to insanely slow moving everyone through the process.

So why waste money on machines and the costs associated with them, when everyone over 65 in Texas is entitled to a mail-in ballot (or several; I've voted in three elections this year alone; primary, school board, and federal/state starting this week) if they request one?  Why not simplify the process, assuring intimidation can't happen, and let all those poor election volunteers and employees of election agencies take it easy on election day.  All they have to do then is make sure the ballots are received within the statutory framework, and collect and assess them as they do now.  It will be different work, but not really more work.  And we can all do it from home and nobody can question our right to vote.

Although I would enjoy getting in the face of some yahoo questioning my bona fides.  Especially some young punk who wasn't a gleam in his pappy's eye the first time I voted, in 1974.

Age has it's benefits.  Like yelling at young punks to quit being punks.  Too bad I don't look "suspicious" enough to garner that kind of attention.  It would almost make it worth going to a polling place.

Almost....
Punks. They don't know the meaning of large ballots.
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