General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOn average, why do Republicans prefer do vote on Election Day, while Democrats prefer to vote early?
I mean, on the surface of things, it should be the same, as it's only a preference. If you took a poll on who likes pepperoni on their pizza, I'm sure it wouldn't be partisan. Yet it's not like that at all. I am an exception, as I like to vote in person on Election day. The school where I vote is a mile away, and the longest I ever waited in line was 40 minutes in 2012. My reason? I like to see for myself how turnout is going.
However, I'm the only Democrat I know that doesn't vote early. On the flip side, I only know one Republican who votes early, and he says he only does it because he is 80 years old. So my question is why?
bmbmd
(3,088 posts)To vote as early as I could because I might die.
Polybius
(15,476 posts)You never know what tomorrow (or even today) brings. Does a vote count if the person passes away before Election Day? Can it be challenged? Should it?
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,895 posts)I voted early, in person, in New Mexico, and I seriously doubt that if I die before this coming Tuesday my ballot could be located and torn up or invalidated.
Samrob
(4,298 posts)I think, mostly, in-person votes are counted first in most places. Absentee and provisional ballots are counted last. So the GOP figured that if Republicans would vote in-person, they would take the early lead in the returns. Then when absentee and provisional ballots are reported later and the Dems make a move to catch up or overtake the early counts, the GOP (MAGAs) could say there was fraud taking place or Dems were voting twice, or some other hanky-panky by the Dems was taking place. Because, once republicans were leading, how on earth could they be overtaken by massive absentee and provisional voting? AND after telling voters that mail-in voting was fraudulent, how could Republicans go back to doing what that had successfully done in the past with mail-in voting.
It's just another rung on the the GOP conspiracy ladder.
ColinC
(8,329 posts)Before 2020 I think far more republicans preferred
Mail voting than democrats.
JT45242
(2,290 posts)Rethugs set up early voting and easier mail in voting to make it easier for older people (usually republican to vote).
So, they would kill us in mail in voting and early voting until TFG.
ColinC
(8,329 posts)But hey, horrible decisions like that are among the reasons Im not a Republican!
Anyone would listen to and take or not take action on anything that Orange Jackass says, is beyond me.
Cosmocat
(14,572 posts)This is exactly right - they liked it just fine until Ds got fired up and so anxious to vote that they took to mail in voting, then because the evil libs preferred it, they hated it, cause that is all the really know at this point.
ColinC
(8,329 posts)Would conservatives suddenly be against it?
Cosmocat
(14,572 posts)Nm
JustAnotherGen
(31,879 posts)I like the whole process. But -
I live in a 1.17 square mile town with 3 voting precincts!
Just A Box Of Rain
(5,104 posts)Here in California anyway "absentee ballots" always broke Republican.
Things certainly changed during the pandemic when all registered voters receive mail-in ballots.
I guess MAGAts decided they'd "own the libs" by flaunting Covid precautions, with encouragement from their cult leader?
I know that I always voted in person on election day pre-Covid and have dropped my (received by mail) ballot in a drop-box since.
Sympthsical
(9,111 posts)It's just habit/tradition. Older voters heavily skew Republican. They're used to going to the polling place to do their thing. They're mostly retired, so they have the time/ability.
Middle aged and younger people are more about convenience, don't want to be bothered about it as much. Busy lives/work/etc.
Just my napkin theory. I have no evidence.
Sky Jewels
(7,137 posts)I'm in Oregon, and we went to 100% vote by mail in the late 90s. Back then, the Republicans thought that would be to their advantage.
Sympthsical
(9,111 posts)I spoke with my mom the other day and asked if she voted, and exclaimed, "I always go to my polling place!" She was an election judge for years. She's in her 80s with mobility issues, so I told her she can just vote by mail. "Mail it? Who the hell knows what they'll do with it!"
I always vote, but I know more than a few people my age and younger who would never bother if they had to physically drive somewhere to do it.
Maybe some generational shift in everything.
Sky Jewels
(7,137 posts)There are a lot of factors at play ... including Chump's attempt to sabotage vote-by-mail in 2020.
allegorical oracle
(2,357 posts)It was conventional wisdom that they all voted twice -- once absentee in their home states, then they'd go to the polls in Fla. Many had ID as Floridians because they owned "winter homes" here. At the end of "the season" in April they'd return to their northern homes.
TheRealNorth
(9,500 posts)Of course, I like everything they seem to police Democratic constituencies.
Elessar Zappa
(14,047 posts)I vote early because Im too excited to wait for Election Day.
bottomofthehill
(8,346 posts)Republicans used to vote early then Lord Trump said dont and they did not ..
Scottie Mom
(5,812 posts)I mail in my ballot and via email, I get first, that is has been received, and second, that it has been counted.
BTW: I am a Democrat (obviously), I always vote early via mail, and I detest Pepperoni!
SickOfTheOnePct
(7,290 posts)I prefer to vote on Election Day, but as Im an election officer in a different precinct, I have to vote early. But I only vote early in- person.
bigtree
(86,005 posts)...they just have.
GoCubsGo
(32,088 posts)My shithole red state makes early and absentee voting difficult. It's easier for most to just vote on election day. Unless you live in one of the larger cities, there won't likely be long lines.
exboyfil
(17,865 posts)areas. Without non-same day voting of some sort, there are not enough machines or workers to handle the influx of voters. Also it allows more mischief to prevent individuals from voting - you only have one shot.
Long lines that disadvantage a particular party or group are undemocratic.
The ideal GOP goal would be getting 100,000 Democrats voting on a single machine in a day.
delisen
(6,044 posts)Sogo
(4,992 posts)The lists in the courthouse of who has not yet voted are regularly updated, and if you vote in advance your name is taken off the lists, and then the Democrats don't have to spend time knocking on doors of those who have already voted. It's to streamline their efforts....
I know this from close friends who are deeply involved in Democratic Get Out The Vote efforts at the local level.
Ocelot II
(115,836 posts)absentee ballot. But in 2020, because of the pandemic, early and absentee voting became more popular and available because many of the people who usually voted on election day didn't want to congregate at a crowded polling place. But the MAGAts were told that (a) the only legitimate kind of voting was in-person election day voting, and (b) the pandemic was no worse than the flu if not an outright hoax. So more of them than usual voted on election day, while more Democrats than usual, who trusted the process and knew the pandemic was real, voted early or by mail.
LonePirate
(13,431 posts)Polybius
(15,476 posts)tblue37
(65,487 posts)other obstacles to voting on election day.
blm
(113,091 posts)Republican majority precincts have more voting machines and shorter lines.
allegorical oracle
(2,357 posts)being around the MAGATs because so many wear their concealed weapons everywhere. Voting early requires me to make a 50-mile round trip to my county's courthouse. But there, everyone must go thru two metal detectors and there's never a line.
LeftInTX
(25,551 posts)the entire county, (which is often at least a 50 miles drive). Whereas on Election Day, they can vote in their neighborhood.
Rural areas are mostly Republican, I guess it turned into a "thing"....But this is how it started.
In Texas, it is also a rural-urban tug of war thing. Rural counties find early voting to be expensive and they don't like the state telling them they need X number of early voting sites and then no one goes etc.
peggysue2
(10,839 posts)Suddenly, it became the tool of Democrats, a way to cheat.
Pre-the-Crazyland perceptions, early voting in a state like Florida was considered the GOP's 'secret sauce' because it allowed Republican operatives to see what areas might need special attention for GOTV operations in the days leading up to E-Day. In fact, I recall GOP operatives (like Rick Wilson) saying the Dems were woefully disadvantaged by putting all their eggs in the same basket (E-Day) because it was a driving-blind-scenario without the ability to self-correct.
Back in the day the GOP was far more savvy. Always ruthless but unwilling to cut off their nose to spite their face.
Now? Not so much. They'd rather rely on the Red Mirage effect and insist that any votes counted past Election Day are inherently fraudulent. And then cheer a violent reaction from their voters.
The Tyranny of the Minority!
tishaLA
(14,176 posts)I remember until very recently hearing about how repubs had "banked" X number of votes before election day and how effective they were at early voting. They spent years and tons of dollars on it and then someone came along and undid all that work.
MagickMuffin
(15,952 posts)I loved the process of Election Day voting. Then 2008 became precinct chair and thus a presiding judge on Election Day made it even better.
Plus in Texas when they started early voting there was no paper trail. So, another reason I never voted early. Then a few election cycles Tarrant county switched to a new voting system that has blank ballots, you vote your ballot and then when youre ready you submit your ballot to be printed, and then ballots fed thru the tally machine.
I have voted early since the pandemic. I no longer felt joy working the elections after 2016. It was all too much helping stupid people vote for stupid people. And now, violence is an acceptable form of voting.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,377 posts)is utter horseshit.
WE are the ones who are working all the time, including every Tuesday, so voting early or by an alternate method has appeal. It's the fucking Republicans that have nothing better to do than go to the polls on a weekday.
meadowlander
(4,402 posts)Also Republicans have spent years undermining voting infrastructure in primarily Democratic districts. Nobody wants to wait in line for four hours.
Emile
(22,908 posts)makes it easier to find time to vote.
Raine
(30,540 posts)because I might get more information as time goes on and change my mind about initiatives. I voted absentee one time and regretted it for that reason.
electric_blue68
(14,933 posts)from work. I'd either go home and go out again, or go straight there depending on the weather. If nasty I knew it'd be harder for me to go out again. In 51 years I think I only missed one Non Presidental election, ?2, or 3 primaries, got in all Presidental Primaries, and General Elections.
Hopefully I'll go vote early tomorrow.
I do generally like voting on Election Day because - Tradition in this case. In 2016 I wanted to go on the earlier side to get it done being So important.
I also missed our old walk into the metal booth, and close the curtains. You push the levers down with a cute little "clik" sound, then grab and push that big 'ole red lever to the right..and hear the kuh-chunk! It was a viseral experience. Doing that for 3/4's of my voting life.
usonian
(9,867 posts)No cosplay militia outside.
In my case, I actually read the pamphlet and take my time when making a choice, and I don't see how anyone could go vote in a booth without making a cheat-sheet anyway.
Let the repubs go vote in person, if they fear the space lasers turned on until Tuesday night, or dems in the post office armed with white-out and sharpies! Wednesday, November 9th is their day to vote and counter the "late democratic vote" trend.
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