A Cranky Opinion for Cranky Opinion
Friday
The
following is the opinion of a cranky old man with little expertise on the topic
opined. Opposing opinions are wrong but
welcome. As always, no name calling, and
that means you, you big stupid-head!
Well, they
passed a new voting law in Georgia. This
has caused a shit-storm in the political world.
One side
says it restricts voting availability for those that have difficulty getting to
the poles. The intent of the law is clearly
racist.
The other
side says the law is to make voting easy while also making fraud more
difficult.
I don’t know
either way. There must be some truth to
both sides.
I know I
need an ID and proof of residence to take out a book from the library. Perhaps stealing a book is worse than
stealing an election.
I do have
one dog in this fight, and one observation/question.
My dog in
the fight is there has been an outcry to boycott/move the Master’s Golf tournament
unless the law is changed. When my
favorite golf tournament is threatened is when I have had enough of the “Cancel
Culture.”
My
observation/ question is this:
Observation - Every year at election time the
news shows long lines of people, mostly in inner cities, waiting to vote. They wait apparently sometimes for hours. People want easier election protocols as a
means to make voting easier and to eliminate these long lines that discourage
voting, especially in heavy Democratic neighborhoods.
In 50+
years, I have never had to wait more than 5 minutes to vote in any
election. If I had to wait in line for
hours to cast a vote that given the politics of my state would not even nudge
the result needle an iota, I would not vote.
Long lines discourage voting.
Voting
should be easy.
Question:
Since these long voting lines seem to be in the same places every year, and
those districts are mostly controlled by people who want easier voting, then
why do they allow such long lines? Does
it take a rocket scientist to determine that areas that historically have long
lines need more places to vote?
Open up more
schools, churches or arenas to handle voting and keep the lines reasonable. Have a voting place on every block. Hell, for one stinking day allow voting at
the local McDonalds or the corner grocery store. I’m pretty sure smart people could figure it
out.
Supply and demand. More places to vote, no lines!
Another way to fix this is to allow voting for several days/weeks. More voting could be by mail. Easier voting over many weeks-time and by mail in ballots would probably not significantly increase voter fraud, but it would certainly give credibility to any claims of voter cheating.
Credible claims of cheating is almost as damaging to
the process as proven cheating.
Same day
voting at established voting places with valid voter ID is the most conducive
to voter legitimacy and the least conducive to claims of fraud. Same day in person voting should be the norm along with secure validated absentee ballots.
Getting
valid voter ID should be easy. Long lines
at the polls are unconscionable and should be easily resolved.
Do it! Everyone vote!
Both sides, fraud/suppression…Shut
up!
And leave my
golf tournament alone!
The
preceding was the opinion of a cranky old man, and not necessarily that of
management…Mrs. Cranky.
Leave the golf tournament alone, I agree, I see cancel culture as bully culture. There, I said it. Your idea of more polling places makes sense to me.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the main issues is cleaning up the voter registration rolls. How do they make sure dead people or ex-residents are removed from the rolls. Also, every time I vote, I am required to show ID. What’s the big deal. In the society we live in, an ID is required for something at some point in time. I am not aware anybody is denied an official ID when they present the proper legal documentation. If course, “legal” is the operative word.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I heard someone on TV this morning say that the easiest and most convenient polling place is your mailbox. I, personally, don’t see why voting should be drug out over many days. After all, voting is not a surprise event. A couple of options for voting should accommodate everyone as efficiently as many days.
I agree. There are a lot of ways to fix this. I’ve heard the argument that some people don’t have driver’s licenses. Well, give them free state ID cards. There are simple solutions, but trying to get politicians to agree on anything is the real problem.
ReplyDeleteThis was the first year I used mail in ballot and it was wonderful. I had to enclose a copy of my drivers license which was no problem and dropped it off at a box strictly for ballots by the court house. No lines, no covid cooties. Voting should not be so hard that people don't do it.
ReplyDeleteYep, golf and voting go together like peas and lima beans. I'm over the cancel culture.
ReplyDeleteYou are right.
ReplyDeleteAs to the arguments about how requiring an ID is wrong, in our state you can get a state ID card free at the same place you get a driver's license. If you don't need a license, and don't have the money, you can get a free ID card, how does that make it more difficult to vote?
We sometimes have lines here, but they aren't that long. The longest i've ever waited was 10-15 minutes.
Our county opened up a voting annex a few weeks before the election. Open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., I think. Walk in, have your Driver's License or State ID scanned, then sit at a table and vote. Feed the ballot through a scanner, and done. It saved me a perilous "trip" down a set of basement stair at my regular country-church polling place. The county commissioner was on the radio a couple times a week, letting people know they could vote early, and explaining where the ballots went until election day and official counting.
ReplyDelete