So many states have had something called early voting for years. It's a system where you can cast your vote "early", a few days before the official election day. Of course, once you vote, you can't change your mind, but it allows people to vote at times convenient to their work or living schedules.
New York finally got early voting this year. In fact, today is the first day of early voting. How many people will notice that, in-between all the Halloween events, is another story.
Oh, we've had innovations years after everyone else for some time. Like electronic voting.
One thing true about our United States is that there is much inonsistency in voting rules, which makes years where we elect high officials (like next year, which is a Presidential election year) interesting. In some places, polls echo with the sounds of crickets. In other places, people wait on line for hours. In several states, people vote by mail. This is a brief insight into New York's system - until today.
Early voting is going to cost taxpayers a lot of money, because that is what happens in New York. One of the reasons why is because the polls will be open an extra 10 days, but another reason is that people are not going to vote in their normal polling locations. We now have an electronic system for verifying our registration when we enter the poll, rather than the "sign a physical book by pen".
I wonder how much confusion this is going to cause.
In my county, Broome County, there will be three polling sites open. Two of the three sites are libraries. The third is in an indoor mall, the Oakdale Mall, which has a place in history for another reason.
I am not sure about the libraries, but I am positive the Oakdale Mall has never been used for voting. The hours are limited, too - most days voting only occurs from 12pm to 5pm.
But I thought, why not check it out?
Well, on my way to early voting, I got a little distracted by fall color.
So we decided to look at some more fall color, instead.
Tomorrow it is supposed to rain, so maybe I'll try again.
Whatever the outcome, I hope this is running smoothly by November of 2020, when we vote for our President, Congresspeople and 1/3 of our Senators.
Do you have early voting or postal voting where you live?
We have early voting here in Idaho and also during the primary you pretty much limited to one party, Republican.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
I plan to vote on Sunday, the polls are open 10 AM - 3 PM in my county, and the early polling place is in my neighborhood. It’s a firehouse, a place I went to vote on the fire department bond request, but it’s never been used for a general election before.
ReplyDeleteThe only voting is at our high school and no early voting. That's why I am confused--NY states early voting, but there is not early voting here in Hornell. It is about time to have to sign in for voting, usually its old ladies asking for id or the honor system (they do both if they know you, they just allow you to go through)--I always thought NY was too lenient on voting and found it strange. Ok, getting off the soapbox now, grin.
ReplyDeleteThe colors are beautiful. We are about done with them here, they were not that bright this year, sigh.
Yes, we can vote early, but we have to go to a county office somewhere... I'm not sure where, so I don't. (Of course, they've emailed me all the info, so I totally could figure it out if I tried.) And we can absentee vote by mail. (My first presidental election I did. I was in college, and I was working that night, so I wasn't going to have time in the day to get there.)
ReplyDeleteDid you know in CA some polling places are in people's garages? My brother's (3 moves ago) polling place was at his next door neighbor's. Made getting to the polls really easy :)
OMG. I may vote tonight!
ReplyDeleteI knew this was going on but thanks for the reminder at a moment when I had time to check!
Spent a couple of hours of my last vacation day wandering Prospect Park. Didn't take my camera because I have SO many pix from vacation to sort through but wished I had, the foliage was gorgeous!