Same day voting....
That was one of the highlights up at the Capitol today, a prosed bill that would allow people to register to vote at the polls on Election Day. It seems like a fairly easy concept to get your arms around -- and I am confused as to why anyone would think that's a bad idea.
I'm originally from Rhode Island. There, you can even register for one of the political parties at the poll on Primary Day. As an independent, I use to go to the poll, register as a Democrat or Republican, vote in the primary of my choosing, go back to the table after voting and re-register as an independent. It was fast, easy and I think, encourage better turnouts.
Same day registeration is a good idea. During this past election, as I was making my way around eastern Connecticut to various polling places and town clerk's office, I ran into a small number of people who said they registered at either DMV or through the mail, but somehow their registration cards were never forwarded to their hometowns. They were stuck using the presidential ballot only
I'm originally from Rhode Island. There, you can even register for one of the political parties at the poll on Primary Day. As an independent, I use to go to the poll, register as a Democrat or Republican, vote in the primary of my choosing, go back to the table after voting and re-register as an independent. It was fast, easy and I think, encourage better turnouts.
Same day registeration is a good idea. During this past election, as I was making my way around eastern Connecticut to various polling places and town clerk's office, I ran into a small number of people who said they registered at either DMV or through the mail, but somehow their registration cards were never forwarded to their hometowns. They were stuck using the presidential ballot only
posted by Ray Hackett at 2:45 PM
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You just had to set me going didn’t you? Two words Mr. Hackett: Voter Fraud.
I long for the good old days when you had to go to Town Hall and get sworn in as a voter by the Town Clerk. Thats the way I did it and that's the best way. I didn't find it difficult.
We never had so many problems back then when Pauline R. Kezer was at the helm. Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz should be impeached for the disgraceful condition of the voter rolls and her rank partisanship. And she want to be promoted to Gov?
People who have been registered for years have just been yanked from the lists for no apparent reason. They are not even on the inactive lists. I know two such people. One thing a Registrar of Voters told me is that Bysiewicz will kick someone off the rolls if they move or register their car in another house. So the guy has to re-register in his new address (even if it’s across the street) or he can’t vote at all anywhere. He is not on any list whatsoever. Not even the inactive one.
Why hasn't the press made an issue of this? Some reform that is. We were far better off before they started *reforming* things.
And what’s these about provisional ballots anyway? I am against them but if they are going to have such a thing than why can’t they provisionally vote for the whole ticket?
There have been times I have been between residences and I remained registered in the town I felt I had a stake in. For example, I lost my job once and lived with my parents a while but still voted in Killingly using my old address.
Under the new rules if I registered my car in Brooklyn I would not be allowed to vote.
Oh and by the way Ann Coulter -- the queen bee of conservatisim -- was never accused of voting twice as the Bulletin erroneously reported a few weeks ago on A2. The guy Miss Coulter calls a "stalker" has accused her of only living in New York and still voting in Cromwell just like I did. I understand that to be perfectly legal. Why shouldn't it be considering she is an actual citizen. If Illegals can vote than so can Ann.
Meanwhile we have dead people not only registered but voting. I think Bysiewicz was far to quick to dismiss voter fraud. How would she know so quickly anyway?
Instead of spinning that hoax about how the Bush Administration was cheating sick veterans out of their right to vote (all the more preposterous considering they tend to vote Republican), Bysiewicz should have been back at her office cleaning up the lists and writing policy that she could defend with a straight face. The biggest disenfranchiser of voters is none other than the Secretary of the State herself. You guys have been to easy on her.
So called “open primaries” are bad policy unless you are a liberal. It is because liberals were allowed to vote in far too many Republican presidential primaries that we got stuck with John McCain. That may not be a problem from your perspective but for those of us who don’t change our party like underwear that is a big big problem.
One thing I tell my peers at every opportunity is the 50 state GOPs need top close up the primaries to registered Republicans only.
That’s not to be mean. It’s entirely reasonable when you think about it. Is it really too much to ask a person to register with a party and stick with it for say 3 months before we let them nominate candidates who are supposed to represent that party’s ideology?
Parties are supposed to represent ideas not personalities. It drives me up the wall when people say “they vote for the person and not the party”. That’s sounds very populist but the practical result of “voting for the person” is we get a bunch of non-leaders who are only good at spinning bull.
Parties are not -- or at least should not be -- empty vessels you can pour any old elixir into. The practical result of so called open primary voting is two Democrat nominees.
Isn’t one enough? Why in the world would Republicans ever want someone like Lincoln Chaffee as our nominee for senate? If that RI primary was closed to just party members than Steven Laffy would have won by a landslide in 06.
Talk about your RINOs. Chaffee would not even promice not to switch parties after the elction. As it was in the general election a lot of Republicans voted for Democrat Whitehouse just to get rid of Chaffee. I even sent him money! Chaffee did switch parties but it wasn't as a U.S. Senator. Good riddence.
Real Republicans had nothing to lose by voting for Sheldon Whitehouse.
Put another way, monbelievers in gun rights, property rights, the rights of the unborn, small government and a reasonable tax levy should not be allowed to invade our primaries and sabotage our message from within.
The smartest thing the CT GOP did was slam the door in 1991 to non-Republicans after Weicker was elected governor. They did the right thing for the wrong reason (which was spite). The other state GOPs should follow suit so we can stay on message and give the voters a real choice -- particulary in our nominee for President.
And if they chose the liberals -- fine. But elections should not be a question of ‘Do you like your Democrats with a D after his name or an R’?
That's not a real choice and that's why open primaries are BAD BAD BAD.
mccommas,
You had me at 'hello'.
;-)
Ray,
Stop provoking him.
;-)
Hello
Mccommas....you're entitled to your opinion; and me to mine. We disagree. See...that didn't take long to read did it? No need for ranting, and I didn't have to use the word conservative or liberal, or radical or right-wing....or attack anyone, or anything.
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