Al Franken...is this for real?

[TheMercenary]

Don't project this one state race on the rest of the nation. I say finish it and let Franken take over his seat. Then I can start to make fun of him again.

[sugarpop]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Don't project this one state race on the rest of the nation. I say finish it and let Franken take over his seat. Then I can start to make fun of him again.

Why not? The republican party and republicans from other states are funding Coleman. They shouldn't be involved, I agree, because it is a state race. Coleman needs to just stop and admit defeat. I have to say, republicans are not doing themselves any good by the way they are acting.

I would suggest that when you use your head, you would recognize serious flaws in our voter registration system that disenfranchises millions of voters every election.....many for such inane reasons as a voters name on his voter registration card, John Public, not matching the name on his drivers license, John Q Public....or a voter moving and changing his address during the period between when he registered and when he voted. ...or persons denied the right to vote because they share the name of a convicted felon in their voting precinct.

The flaws in the current system are too numerous to mention, including the reliability of voting machines (as noted by TW) and no mandatory requirements for paper trails.

IMO, we need comprehensive voter reform far beyond the Help American Vote Act that was enacted after the 2000 fiasco.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Redux

I would suggest that when you use your head, you would recognize serious flaws in our voter registration system that disenfranchises millions of voters every election.....many for such inane reasons as a voters name on his voter registration card, John Public, not matching the name on his drivers license, John Q Public....or a voter moving and changing his address during the period between when he registered and when he voted. ...or persons denied the right to vote because they share the name of a convicted felon in their voting precinct.

You must have worked for ACORN.

[Clodfobble]

It's important to note that voter registration laws vary by state. In Texas, we have "Motor Voter Registration," which means your voter registration is tied to your drivers license to begin with. That means 99% of people are automatically registered with no additional work, the name always matches exactly what's on your ID, and the address stays current as long as your drivers license is kept valid, which you are of course legally required to do. I've moved back and forth over a county line 3 times in the last 5 years, and they always notified me of all my new voter registration information.

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

It's important to note that voter registration laws vary by state. In Texas, we have "Motor Voter Registration," which means your voter registration is tied to your drivers license to begin with. That means 99% of people are automatically registered with no additional work, the name always matches exactly what's on your ID, and the address stays current as long as your drivers license is kept valid, which you are of course legally required to do. I've moved back and forth over a county line 3 times in the last 5 years, and they always notified me of all my new voter registration information.

I know that voter registration laws vary by state....therein lies the problem, even with the many states with motor voter registration which has been in place since the Clinton era National Voter Registration Act.

According to the FEC, more than 1 million voters were probably not counted the 2004 presidential election, most of which were cast on provisional ballots because of voter registration questions where persons show up at a precinct and find their name not on the list.....and I would bet some of those were in Texas.

IMO, there should be a standardized voter registration procedure among the states for national elections (presidential/congressional) that provides greater assurance regarding provisional ballots, paper trails and other issues that may inhibit one's ability to vote or to know that it is counted.

this from some Freepers (Free Republic) in Tex...who knows if these Republicans are just blowing smoke?

I worked as an election clerk yesterday on election day. It was a heavily Republican leaning district. Several voters who had recently moved into the district had checked the box indicating they wanted to register to vote at their new address when they updated their drivers licenses through the DPS (Department of Public Safety). In most cases these people had to fill out provisional ballots that probably will not be counted. The Republican poll watcher is going to file a complaint. The election judge said she had been told by workers at the county courthouse not to rely on the DPS to forward voter registration information.

This happened to me in White Oak, TX. I was not allowed to use a provisional ballot, but told to register for next time. I filed a complaint with the state office last night. This needs to be investigated. I posted this earlier here and the thread got pulled. Maybe because I posted this last night in chat, but meant to put it here. Anyway, the polling official said this happened to "a lot of people."

I am an election judge in another part of Texas and can testify to this as well.

I did more provisional ballots yesterday than I ever have in more than 20 years of doing this and EVERY one of them were caused by this BS. After the folks who had to endure this process had voted, I told every one of them that even tho this provisional ballot process you have just completed is supposed to ensure your being registered at your new address, DON'T count on it! Go physically to the voter registrars office and make SURE that you are registered.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1734918/posts

And these are not ACORN type guys bitching.

[TheMercenary]

Damm those states rights. We are the Federal Government. We are here to take over, ummm, help. Yea.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Damm those states rights. We are the Federal Government. We are here to take over, ummm, help. Yea.

Merc...of course, I want to do EVERYTHING I can to assure that your vote doesnt count!

When dealing with federal elections, it is simply ignorant to brush it off as a states rights issue. If you understand the concept of states rights in the Constitution, you would know that.

[TheMercenary]

I know that any time someone steps in and tries to tell us that the feds should tell states how to conduct business at the state level there is a problem. No system is perfect and the one we have now works. Not perfectly but it works. There are not millions of disenfranchised voters out there. On top of that there are groups eligible to vote in some states and not so in others. That is the way it goes.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I know that any time someone steps in and tries to tell us that the feds should tell states how to conduct business at the state level there is a problem. No system is perfect and the one we have now works. Not perfectly but it works. There are not millions of disenfranchised voters out there. On top of that there are groups eligible to vote in some states and not so in others. That is the way it goes.

There are absolutely millions of votes not counted...most are provisions ballots and others result from the differing failure rates of various types of voting machines.

I am simply suggesting that the process be standardized....its not a fucking federal take over of elections.

HAVA was a good first step when it was enacted after the 2000 election, but doesnt go far enough to provide the greatest assurance possible that your vote will be counted with the same likelihood regardless of where you live.

Maybe we just need the "purple thumb" test that we spent $millions on to assure "free and fair" elections in Iraq.

There is the irony....we spend $millions to support democratic elections in other countries and cant maximize the effectiveness and reliability of our own disjointed system....where if you vote in a rural county with a old punch card machine, your vote has a greater likelihood of not being counted than an upscale suburb and fancy new optical scanners.

[TheMercenary]

Here is a perfect example of differences for voting rights that is a states rights issue:

State Felon Voting Laws

(as of Sep. 25, 2008)


http://felonvoting.procon.org/viewre...resourceID=286

[classicman]

Look if you can't copy your name as it appears on your drivers license or ID card, you probably shouldn't vote anyway
just sayin

[TheMercenary]

If you don't have proof of ID as to who you are you should not be able to vote.

[classicman]

what if you are dead?

Never mind.

It was stupid of me to think you guys would engage in a serious discussion.

Carry on and I'll go back to my ACORN corner.