Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

[rufus]

So then who the **** are you proposing?

John Kasich.

 

[rufus]

Or give me an example of a law that is unfair when it comes to voting

Not a law, but how about this. Since 2012, Texas has closed 750 polling locations. Over 2/3 of them in predominantly black/Latino districts. Meanwhile, the population in those districts has grown by over 2 million.

Fewer places to vote plus more people equal long waits in line. Like five or six hours. Long waits in line means frustrated voters, who either give up and go home, or don't bother to even vote at all.

Surely you're aware that this is happening, right? Not just in Texas, but states all over this country. You can't be this blissfully ignorant.

 

[rufus]

Yes, willful blindness because I don't know how every city handles voters and what laws they are breaking because they don't want certain people to vote. Should be pretty easy to capture, cell phones are magical these days.

How do you capture a city breaking a law with a cellphone?

I mean Republicans haven't even been able to get a photo of all those MA voters being bused up to NH to vote, despite loudly proclaiming they see it happening all the time.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

No rufus, I just choose to challenge the traditional talking points such as there somehow being an issue with requiring identification. Your example about closing polling examples is at least a legitimate point. Although even then, you have no clue why a particular polling location or locations closes but if it fits your agenda, have at it. Has nothing to do with being blissfully ignorant. Some of you certainly get very upset over simply explaining your position.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

But fewer places to vote causing long lines with frustrated voters would impact all voters.

 

[alfablue]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

But fewer places to vote causing long lines with frustrated voters would impact all voters.

All voters that are required to vote in those districts. If you are not in a district that closed a location, then you would not be impacted.

It's curious that most of the long lines that stretch around city blocks are lined with people that are non-white. Happens here in SE MI, and I've seen pictures of it in Ohio, and PA..... It happened in Georgia recently.

If anyone was allowed to vote anywhere, that would somewhat frustrate everyone. But not fully, as many of the people who have had their local polling places close also do not have the means to travel to another location.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

That's fair

 

[J.D.]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

With the technology we have including biometric solutions we should be able to get to a point where you can vote from your smartphone while also keeping polling locations.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

Sadly nobody is gonna make voting easier

 

[J.D.]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

Someone like Andrew Yang maybe!

As older people pass away I think we'll get there.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

I was just impressed to see my polling location actually using tablets at check in rather than stacks of paper

 

[alfablue]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

I was just impressed to see my polling location actually using tablets at check in rather than stacks of paper

I would not want that at all. It's pretty obvious that we, as a society, do not have the ability to make a really secure, on line, voting system. Even the paper version has huge holes in the system. It would take some of the best coders in the industry to make a truly safe on-line only system- who are never going to work for government coin.

Paper- both so that the voter rolls can not be manipulated once out, and that there's a paper trace of the actual vote.

Someday, perhaps- but not now, and not with multiple foreign powers trying stick themselves into our election system with the internet security as it is.

Let alone the cost of a system like that, which hardly has good enough penetration to all areas of the country. It's not going to speed things up in poor polling districts that have had their funds cut.

 

[rufus]

But fewer places to vote causing long lines with frustrated voters would impact all voters.

Depends on how many voters you have for each party.

In Texas, you had Trump running unopposed, so no great need for Republicans to turn out. But there, Democrats had to vote on Democrat assigned machines, while Republicans had their own designated machines. Same numbers of each at polling places, despite far more Democratic voters.

You like to "challenge the conventional wisdom". Sure, that's it.

Any of this stuff you want to know, you could easily find on Google. But you had to come here to challenge the conventional wisdom, ie troll.

 

[rufus]

But fewer places to vote causing long lines with frustrated voters would impact all voters.

The other 1/3 of lost polling places were in largely white areas of the state, who saw their population numbers decrease.

So yeah, both sides.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

I should add there have been studies that contradict voter ID laws allegedly suppressing minority voters while also contradicting that voter ID laws prevent voter fraud. But the general idea of requiring identification is not some outlandish, unheard of concept. Happens in day to day life all the time.

Source?

 

[burd]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

With the technology we have including biometric solutions we should be able to get to a point where you can vote from your smartphone while also keeping polling locations.

Even when that point is reached--and it will probably be soon--the question will be how long it takes people to accept it. Like juries. Even if it could be shown that judges make better finders of fact, the real question is whether people need juries to maintain their faith in the system. Even if technology makes personal device voting easier and more reliable, the question is whether people's faith in the result is more easily shaken.

As someone noted, though, Rs will never allow easier voting access.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

Even when that point is reached--and it will probably be soon--the question will be how long it takes people to accept it. Like juries. Even if it could be shown that judges make better finders of fact, the real question is whether people need juries to maintain their faith in the system. Even if technology makes personal device voting easier and more reliable, the question is whether people's faith in the result is more easily shaken.

As someone noted, though, Rs will never allow easier voting access.

Republicans will push technology solutions that favor the rich and ban technology solutions that favor the young.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

Rufus, you're an easy target. If someone challenges you on something it's automatically trolling. It couldn't possibly be that people like me get tired of the same talking points from both sides which only leads to more divisiveness.

If you think voter suppression is a thing I am telling you I am all in favor of using technology so that it's easier for everyone to vote. I'm not gonna pretend to know why certain polling locations close. So let's take the BS out of the equation and use technology.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

Also, I don't think any system would remove skeptics claiming the fix is in.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Democratic Challengers 2020 - 12: The End of the Beginning

Voting in person is simply outdated. Depending on the job you have and what hours you were, you could be impacted. Same if you have young kids or if you're sick.