I see many reasons why Early Voting is bad, and I would like to share them with you, if you will allow me:

1. The first is the most practical reason – You never know what news, good or bad, will come out about a candidate between Oct. 14th and November 2nd (19 full days).  I have seen people become angry or distraught because they voted for the “wrong” candidate in a race they didn’t know very much about as they rushed to cast their ballot early for another candidate.  Here in Caldwell County WJRI is having candidates on the radio throughout Early Voting, but many people have already voted by the time the last guy gets on the radio on Oct. 29th.  Are you fully informed if you vote on Oct. 14th?
2. Provisional ballots pose a grave danger to our election system.  Every Provisional ballot that is cast on Election day is held until verified.  That’s good.  But if there are too many Provisional ballots to verify, then anything not verified is counted on Canvas Day, November 12th.  YES, that’s right, they are counted.  There are only 7 business days between Election Day and Canvas Day. If there are only 10, or even 100, Provisional ballots cast, then our local Election office can handle that, but if there are 2,000, then time gets short.  But if there 5,000 Provisional ballots to be verified (name, address, Social Security number or NC Driver’s License number, age, party) it is difficult to verify all the Mickey Mouse voters in 7 business days (before Nov. 12th).  If they are not all verified, then anything not accepted or rejected COUNTS AS A VOTE.  Does this make sense? I’ll say it again, on Canvas Day there could be three piles of Provisional ballots: 1) checked, accepted, and counted;  2) checked and rejected; and 3) unchecked and counted.  This is how ACORN has stolen elections for years – by overwhelming the local Board of Election Offices and making it impossible for all Provisional ballots to be properly verified before the vote is counted.  (Like in Minnesota, more ballots were cast than there were registered voters.)  Why do we have “Last Day to Register” ads, deadlines, and signs up around the Board of Election, if you can just go to the polls during early voting and do it then?  The only day you cannot register to vote is on Election Day, Nov 2nd, or the three days between “Last day to register” and when early voting starts, Oct. 11-13th.  Hmmmm? Question: Why did we used to have nearly a month between “last day to register” deadline and Election Day?  Answer: So the Board of Elections had plenty of time to verify voter information.  Giving the Board of Elections full control of voter lists.  Now, current law won’t even let the local Board of Elections remove duplicates.
3. Duplicates are another way to cheat the system.  For example, anyone can request a list of voters from the board of elections and see duplicates.  If I was dishonest, I could request absentee ballots for one of the duplicate names of the voter list.  That way the legitimate voter could still cast their vote at the poll, but a dishonest group like ACORN could also cast an absentee ballot in their name.  ~~ I’m just saying, it could happen.
4. Absentee ballots are not counted until Election night (Nov. 2nd), but there is a verification process that happens there as well – the signatures must match.  Files are pulled and someone has to eyeball both signatures.  This takes time. (Time needed for Provisional ballots as well.)
5. During the long days of Early Voting, people are able to register and vote on the same day – One Stop Voting.  This is another portal for voter fraud and over-whelming the system.  If a voter registers to vote and casts their vote on the same day – the vote is counted and the verification process begins.  If the voter’s information has a problem, then a card is mailed out for information clarification.  If the voter doesn’t provide the needed information they may not vote in the next year’s election, but this vote will count.
6. All of the above is possible, and yet, our servicemen and women serving overseas aren’t afforded the slightest bit of accommodation for getting their ballots back to be counted.  Many states are suing or being sued for not getting absentee ballots to the military in a legally, timely manner.
7. Staffing the Early Voting sites with volunteers to pass out candidate info, TEA Party Voter Guides, or being a Poll Judge is almost impossible for 13 work days and 3 Saturdays!!!  Who wants to give that much time to anything that is volunteer??  Poll Judges are very important as observers of the process – call them the citizen watchdog of the polling place and another guarantee of a fair election.
8. “If it’s not close they can’t cheat” – the title of a John Fund book about election fraud.  The premise of the book is that there are only a certain amount of ballots that can be falsely counted in the system.  That title makes me think – If the vote count isn’t close, then the likes of ACORN-type organizations can’t produce enough fraudulent ballots to overcome their shortfall of voting interest.  There is also the idea that as we cast our votes everyday at Early Voting, the counties report the number of Republicans, Democrats, Unaffiliated, etc… voters cast ballots still as if to wave a flag for who is potentially behind.  At that point, either party can artificially Get Out The Vote (GOTV) with phone calls, bus rides, ice cream, and cash.
9. Anther bad reason for a long drawn out Early Voting season is loss of money and productivity for candidates who have to take vacation time at work or those who are self-employed who leave their businesses for 2-1/2 weeks.  These are factors in even considering whether or not to run for office. Can you afford to not work for 2-1/2 while you stand in the an Early Voting parking lot to gain the advantage at the polls?
10. Added expense to the taxpayers to staff Early Voting locations with judges, staff, and equipment for 2-1/2 weeks.  (True, it costs the same for the equipment to sit in storage as it does for it to be used at the polling site.)
11. Added expense to candidates for 19 days of last day advertising!  Even the TEA Party has to keep in mind that every day between Oct. 14th and Nov. 2nd, is the last day of voting.   You may not care that the candidates have an added expenses and burdens, but… the money comes from YOU through the need of increases donations, or from special interest money.   This is an easy way for candidates to be “BOUGHT” with special interest money.  If they are going to win, then they need to advertise.  The need for more money corrupts.  The money needed to advertise like it’s the last day of voting for 19 days will hasten the corruption.

I am vehemently opposed to 2-1/2 weeks of Early Voting.  Only 500 people vote per day in Caldwell County during Early Voting. As much as I would like to have election day only be the second Tuesday of November and none other, many disagree and feel it is necessary to have a fews days of Early Voting.  Maybe Early Voting could be the Friday and Saturday before Election day.  That is plenty of time!  And employers need to accommodate a worker that exercises their civic duty and Constitutional right to vote by being understanding of extra time for lunch or late arrival on Election Day as they may need to stand in line for time.

I know no knowledge that any of what I listed above is going on in Caldwell County.  But it could be if we don’t remain ever vigilant.

Yes, it is convenient to vote with short lines, but is it really worth it?

by christine gates