Unbelievable, in 2012 America.
Patriotic Citizens waiting up 4-6 hours to Vote. To vote Early.
Since when did America become a 3rd world country? (don't answer that -- rhetorical question only ...)
Hundreds line up across Florida for last day of early voting
by Associated Press, therepublic.com -- Nov 03, 2012
MIAMI -- Long lines are forming across Florida for the last day of early voting.
Some sites are reporting a wait time of up to four hours in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, while locations in Hillsborough and Duval counties are reporting between 15 minutes to about an hour.
Early voting ends Saturday. Despite record turnout in many parts of the state, Florida Gov. Rick Scott rejected calls to extend early voting through Sunday to help alleviate long lines at the polls.
Let me guess, which party they favor in those "15-minute wait" counties?
It's not like access to Voting is critical to democracy or anything ...
Women Voters Ask Gov. Scott to Extend Early Voting
by Sunde Farquhar, templeterrace.patch.com -- Nov 2, 2012
The League of Women Voters wants Florida Gov. Rick Scott to extend the early voting period until Nov. 4 to accommodate voters. The League mentions media reports about people waiting in line for up to six hours to vote.
[...]
On Thursday, the league sent a letter to Scott that mentioned how some people have stood in line for hours waiting to vote. [...]
Dear Governor Scott:
As you are aware, Floridians are continuing to turn out in record numbers to take advantage of the opportunity to vote early in this important general election. [...]
The League of Women Voters of Florida, which is dedicated to protecting the right of all citizens to vote, is extremely concerned that such long waits are discouraging to voters whose schedules and/or physical conditions cannot accommodate these types of delays.
In light of this problem, the League is asking you to extend early voting hours to include Sunday, November 4, for counties with high voter traffic. Our goal is to ensure that the voting process is timely, accessible and convenient for every eligible voter who wants to cast a ballot.
[...]
And did Rick Scott rise to meet the urgent demands of his state's citizens to carry out their most basic of American Rights?
Well, "Does a Tea Party Republican care about Facts?"
Florida Gov. Rick Scott not likely to extend early voting hours
by Patricia Mazzei and Steve Bousquet, Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
bradenton.com -- November 2, 2012
[...]
Former state Sen. Dan Gelber, a Democrat who lost a bid for attorney general two years ago, asked Scott on Thursday to expand the early-voting period, which ends at 7 p.m. Saturday, to include Sunday.
“In parts of Florida many citizens -- including veterans and seniors -- have had to wait for as many as 5 hours to simply express the most fundamental right guaranteed to them in a democracy,” Gelber wrote in the letter Thursday morning.
[...]
The delays, Macnab wrote, have resulted “from an increase in the number of registered voters since 2008, reductions in the number of days available to early vote and the unprecedented length of this year’s ballot...” The Miami-Dade ballot is 10 pages long.
Scott signed a state law last year reducing the number of early-voting days to eight from 14 and doing away with early voting on the Sunday before Election Day. The new law guarantees a Sunday of early voting and allows for up to 12 hours of early voting a day, for a total of 96 hours. Miami-Dade is already meeting that cap.
[...]
Or more succinctly ... Rick Scott said
Hell No!
Voting -- Schmoting!@ Your ease of access depends on your Zip Code, don't you know. Maybe you should move ...
FL Gov. Rick Scott Refuses to Extend Days for Early Voting Despite Hours Long Lines
by Brad Friedman, bradblog.com -- 11/2/2012
[...]
Governor Scott said no. From the Broward/Palm-Beach New Times:
"Early voting will end Saturday night," Scott told reporters in response to the request. "But I want everybody to get out to vote."
Scott's Republican predecessor, Governor Charlie Christ, extended early voting in 2008 because voters were waiting in line for several hours. Then Barack Obama won the state, and Florida Republicans decided fewer days would be better somehow.
Unbelievable, in 2012 America. When is America going to
get with the program?
The program where every Vote Matters;
The program where every Vote is convenient;
The program where every Vote is validated and safe?
I'm talking about the Oregon Vote-by-Mail program.
The initiative ballot is 10 pages long ... No problem. Take an afternoon, with a cup of coffee. Study the issues. Make a informed decision. Several of them.
Worried about those pesky Voter Machines ... No problem. Voter Ballots are double sealed with a signature on the inner envelope. Votes are Tallied by scanners, much like an SAT Test reader -- ie. much harder to rig, since it is standard hardware.
A 100-year Hurricane has leveled your state's infrastructure right before election day ... No problem. IF your state had a Vote-by-Mail system similar to Oregon's.
Remember that Postal Creed ...
"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
Hmmm? There must be good reasons why the
Post Service is mandated by the American Constitution. Isn't long past time we made use of them to carry and protect and deliver our Votes ...
In a more timely manner than we've seeing lately?
(end of rant.)