Libertarian Blog - We should abolish early voting

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

https://alibertarianfuture.com/2016-election/2016s-october-surprises-prove-we-should-abolish-early-voting/

Funny, I thought this was the party of "Minimum Government, Maximum Freedom".

[Vosem]

We absolutely should. Early voting creates disparities in information among voters and should be mostly abolished, with exceptions for people who cannot make it to the polls on Election Day (the elderly/infirm/those who can demonstrate their work doesn't permit them to vote in a timely manner). Everybody else should vote on Election Day. We can cut down on the number of such people by also making Election Day a federal holiday.

[LLR]

Libertarians hate measures that help low-income people and minorities? Wow, that's really weird, they never do that!

[White Trash]

Libertarians hate measures that help low-income people and minorities? Wow, that's really weird, they never do that!

[BuckeyeNut]

Libertarians hate measures that help low-income people and minorities? Wow, that's really weird, they never do that!

[Small L]

This is dumb. Early voting is an option because not everyone can vote on election day. Better to vote on incomplete information than not vote at all. Besides, it's all completely voluntary. The responsibility lies with me to do the research and decide when and for whom to vote.

I have no one to blame but myself if I vote on incomplete information and regret it later. I certainly shouldn't blame the government for allowing early voting. I made a decision about when to vote, and I knew something might change before election day.

The argument that early voting protects the two-party system also falls flat with me. Third-party candidates tend to bleed support as election day approaches.

[Cashew]

We absolutely should. Early voting creates disparities in information among voters and should be mostly abolished, with exceptions for people who cannot make it to the polls on Election Day (the elderly/infirm/those who can demonstrate their work doesn't permit them to vote in a timely manner). Everybody else should vote on Election Day. We can cut down on the number of such people by also making Election Day a federal holiday.

Strangely enough, Republicans are only making a legislative effort on the first part, the second...crickets.

[Enduro]

Bad idea. Early voting doesn't restrict freedom at all, it enhances it. Whoever created this "libertarian" blog needs to read up on what a libertarian actually is.

[ElectionsGuy]

Stupid argument, this sounds like something that would come out of Drudge or Breitbart. If people vote and then regret it that's their problem. Early voting is for people who are absolutely sure that one candidate is superior to others. Its also convenient if they can't get to the polls on election day. I would love for election day to be a national holiday, that way everybody has the necessary time and notice of what's going on.

There's nothing libertarian about restricting early voting.

Libertarians hate measures that help low-income people and minorities? Wow, that's really weird, they never do that!

I know right, that's why they're for school choice so people aren't locked into a poor school based on geography, oh wait a minute...

[‼realJohnEwards‼]

One should be able to override their early vote with a vote on Election Day, but there is nothing wrong with having EV in the first place.

[Rules for me, but not for thee]

One should be able to override their early vote with a vote on Election Day, but there is nothing wrong with having EV in the first place.

This is a good idea. But early voting is a good thing in general because its too easy to marginalize poor people without it.  Make them stand in line for hours without pay to vote, and they probably will be less likely to show up.

[DINGO Joe]

One should be able to override their early vote with a vote on Election Day, but there is nothing wrong with having EV in the first place.

I think California kind of functions like this in that if you mail in your vote, it's not even opened until after election day, and if you voted on election day, then the mail in vote is thrown out.  Of course, it's one reason why California takes so long to count votes.

[zorkpolitics]

Move elections to the first weekend in Nov, allow voting all day Saturday and Sunday so everyone will have a time they can vote.  Then abolish early voting.  Everyone should decide on the same information at the same time.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

If we expand the number of precincts, make Election Day a federal holiday to replace Columbus Day, and do everything we can to help the people who tend to early vote cast their ballots on Election Day, then sure, I'd support abolishing it.

Until then, leave it in place.

One should be able to override their early vote with a vote on Election Day, but there is nothing wrong with having EV in the first place.

Move elections to the first weekend in Nov, allow voting all day Saturday and Sunday so everyone will have a time they can vote.  Then abolish early voting.  Everyone should decide on the same information at the same time.

Boom, perfect. Trump should appoint you both as the Co-Secretaries of Voting Rights, because these are very reasonable solutions.

[Coolface Sock #42069]

I very much disagree with the idea of cutting early voting. I know states want to save money, but it doesn't cost very much to have early voting. I don't think my county has to spend any extra money to have it since the same person at the clerk's office is there whether or not there's voting going on, and early voting volume isn't big enough here to need special accommodations. I don't like the idea of 100% turnout either as it puts a ton more LIVs in the mix, but some people have a hard time making to the polls on Election Day who are still informed about the decision they're about to make but may be out of town that day or work a 12-hour shift. The cheapest and easiest way to allow those people to vote is to allow them to vote early.

In 2014, I got a new job that required me to move on November 1. I would not have been able to vote in that election if not for early voting (a voter must live in his precinct for at least 30 days in order to vote there).

[‼realJohnEwards‼]

Along these lines, all states should have the same systems of EV, which should be, in general, very liberal. Maybe in-person starting two weeks before ED, and anyone who is registered (and will be 18 by ED) can cast a ballot at their precinct. Also, by-mail voting should be standardized, and made available to all voters as well.