Friday, October 3, 2014

Is voting TOO EASY in the USA?





It is the nature of man, I reckon, to enjoy opinions and opinion writers with whom you agree.  And that is the case in this instance.  For years I have been shaking my fist (rhetorically speaking of course) at those milquetoast liberals who shout for easier voting.  A pox on all their heads!

If I were King, I'd bring back the poll tax for non property owners, something in the order of $25, just make the voter feel like he had a skin in the game.  This will never happen of course.... even an old war horse like me knows that.  But I believe we are going to far the other way.  In my mind, voting is a privilege of living in a Democratic-Republic, not a right. 

And every low-information (read that - no-information) voter that walks into a voting booth and votes a straight line ticket, either party, and then pulls back the curtain and departs - is doing a disservice to all of the serious citizens who have examined the issues, listened to and read the candidates positions and promises and made an educated decision.  

Oh well - I can dream...   but the point of my little rant was Ohio's recent attempt to extend early voting to FIVE WEEKS with on the spot registration.  Fortunately the Supremes stopped it, but the fact that the Ohio gob'mint would even propose it makes me shudder! Voting shouldn't be easy, or casual. 

Voting early - absentee voting (for other than elders and non-ambulatory patients and voters who are actually and certifiably absent on election day)  - motor voter registration, are all leaks in the dikes holding up our form of government. 

Click here for an opinion with which I agree - short, on point, and well written by David Harsany, in  TheFederalist.com. 

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I didn't like early voting from the first time it was suggested/implemented. Over time I have compromised a little thinking about the sheer size of the number of eligible voters these days. If you were to have very heavy turnout at the polls these days, a one day election might create huge problems in heavily populated areas. So, I have come to agree with limited early voting say up to a week but, no longer than that. Just too much chance for voting shenanigans as well as something happening with a candidate that might otherwise affect your choice.
Thinking a little further about this, I think early voting should only be for the general election during presidential election years. Voting totals during off-year election such as 2014 do not come close to presidential years and shouldn't cause many, if any, problems due to overly large turnouts