PDA

View Full Version : Senator Barbara Boxer introduces Bill on Day One to Fight Long Election Lines



Cigar
01-22-2013, 07:53 PM
Boxer Introduces Bill on Day One of the 113th Congress to Fight Long Election LinesThe “LINE Act” Would Set National Standards and Require Action by States Where Voters Waited in Line for Hours

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), on the first day of the 113th Congress, reintroduced her election reform bill – the LINE Act – which would help ensure that all American voters can cast a ballot in federal elections without enduring hours-long delays at their polling places.

Election Reform

- Have minimum federal requirements that all states must meet in order to protect the right of all citizens to vote in a timely manner.
- Early voting must begin a minimum of 2 weeks prior to election day, and for a minimum over 8 hours a day, with everyone who is in line by the 7th hour being able to vote that day.
- Allow absentee ballots in all 50 states and require that they are issued to voters no later than 1 month prior to election day.
- Elect the president of the United States by the national popular vote, or require all states to award all of their state's electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins that state's popular vote.

Redistricting Reform

- Prevent partisan state officials from drawing congressional maps favorable to them or their party by creating independent commissions in all 50-states that are responsible for drawing congressional districts in a non partisan manner.

http://www.boxer.senate.gov/en/press/releases/012213.cfm

Progressively moving forward ...or ... Conservatively falling behind

JackRuby
01-22-2013, 08:03 PM
Boxer Introduces Bill on Day One of the 113th Congress to Fight Long Election Lines

The “LINE Act” Would Set National Standards and Require Action by States Where Voters Waited in Line for Hours

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), on the first day of the 113th Congress, reintroduced her election reform bill – the LINE Act – which would help ensure that all American voters can cast a ballot in federal elections without enduring hours-long delays at their polling places.

Election Reform

- Have minimum federal requirements that all states must meet in order to protect the right of all citizens to vote in a timely manner.
- Early voting must begin a minimum of 2 weeks prior to election day, and for a minimum over 8 hours a day, with everyone who is in line by the 7th hour being able to vote that day.
- Allow absentee ballots in all 50 states and require that they are issued to voters no later than 1 month prior to election day.
- Elect the president of the United States by the national popular vote, or require all states to award all of their state's electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins that state's popular vote.

Redistricting Reform

- Prevent partisan state officials from drawing congressional maps favorable to them or their party by creating independent commissions in all 50-states that are responsible for drawing congressional districts in a non partisan manner.

http://www.boxer.senate.gov/en/press/releases/012213.cfm

Progressively moving forward ...or ... Conservatively falling behind

Being in the Witness Protection Program, I can no longer vote. Willy nilly, I have observed that many local boards of elections are cutting back staffs. Maybe I did not read your post close enough but what could a local board of elections do to meet these mandates if they simply do not have the staffing and the funding?

Furthermore I'm under the impression that states run elections?

By the by, I hear that it's butt cold in the states right now. That's the benefits of the Witness Protection Program because I can winter in warmer climes courtesy of the feds and you taxpayers. Trinidad is lovely in January.

Jack

Cigar
01-22-2013, 08:07 PM
Being in the Witness Protection Program, I can no longer vote. Willy nilly, I have observed that many local boards of elections are cutting back staffs. Maybe I did not read your post close enough but what could a local board of elections do to meet these mandates if they simply do not have the staffing and the funding?

Furthermore I'm under the impression that states run elections?

By the by, I hear that it's butt cold in the states right now. That's the benefits of the Witness Protection Program because I can winter in warmer climes courtesy of the feds and you taxpayers. Trinidad is lovely in January.

Jack


You're correct, States are ruling more and more.

Persoanlly I wish we get rid of the Electoral College and just have a National Popular Vote .. with no tricks ... just the most popular Political View Wins.

JackRuby
01-22-2013, 08:12 PM
You're correct, States are ruling more and more.

Persoanlly I wish we get rid of the Electoral College and just have a National Popular Vote .. with no tricks ... just the most popular Political View Wins.

I once was in a midwestern state shortly after I entered the WPP and had to leave in a hell of a big hurry because I think I got made by an old snitch. But anyway why I was there the party in the majority all of a sudden got the idea to gerrymander in their advantage. I left and don't know what happened.

Jack

Cigar
01-22-2013, 08:22 PM
I once was in a midwestern state shortly after I entered the WPP and had to leave in a hell of a big hurry because I think I got made by an old snitch. But anyway why I was there the party in the majority all of a sudden got the idea to gerrymander in their advantage. I left and don't know what happened.

Jack

That's Funny ...

Anyway ... they can do all the gerrymandering they want ... but the one thing they can't do better is Fuck more than Minorities, cure Gayness, and stop trying to control Women Body when they don't even know the body parts.

Good Luck

BTW ... a cure for WPP ... tell them exactly where you're at and dare them to come throw the Front Door; don't worry, all your Guns will protect you.

RollingWave
01-22-2013, 09:26 PM
Going into popular vote is for POTUS is still probably too extreme at this moment, though obviously it's probably in the counter of the rumored plan for blue state GOP to push laws that would award their state electorate based on portion .

I guess there are two ways to look at this, one is that most of these are common sense stuff that should be done anyway. (aside from the required popular or electorate part. I think those things should require referenduems IMHO).

I would personally also favor that redistricting to out of the control of pols, but how to do that is obviously much more debatable.

The other side of the way to look at this is that it's the fed minding too much other people's business. which is true, but the problem generally being that this mostly deal with issue that will effect politics on the fed level anyway, and also that we're not exactly seeing a turn to original anti-federalism from the GOP anyway.

GrassrootsConservative
01-22-2013, 09:29 PM
Why do Liberals think they are entitled to short lines? Everywhere we go we have to wait in line. Sometimes a trip to the post office takes upwards of an hour due to the incompetent mook running the show having no idea how to be efficient.

Chloe
01-22-2013, 09:32 PM
Why do Liberals think they are entitled to short lines? Everywhere we go we have to wait in line. Sometimes a trip to the post office takes upwards of an hour due to the incompetent mook running the show having no idea how to be efficient.

Long lines and difficult processes will make people go home and not vote. I would have waited all day long this last election to vote since it was my first election, but most people probably wouldn't do that. Making voting easier and faster will encourage more people to vote.

RollingWave
01-22-2013, 09:54 PM
In Taiwan voting station is almost always based on school district anyway, and (mostly elementary but sometimes junior high) school teachers required to serve as the election station workers. it's a relatively effective way to approach this seeing that usually number of voter correlate very strongly with size and number of schools obviously, so the distribution for workers and station become quite even.

Peter1469
01-22-2013, 10:14 PM
Outlaw long lines?

RollingWave
01-22-2013, 10:24 PM
You obviously can't outlaw long lines, though I figure that states have a duty to make voting at least reasonably achievable is a no-brainer, but how do you define reasonable is of course highly debatable.

Peter1469
01-22-2013, 10:42 PM
You obviously can't outlaw long lines, though I figure that states have a duty to make voting at least reasonably achievable is a no-brainer, but how do you define reasonable is of course highly debatable.

I have voted in the same polling place since 2004. I typically have no wait or a 1-2 minute wait. This last time I waited 20 minutes. I read an e-book on my Droid Razer.

Now if we got the federal government involved they would make a 1 size fits all solution for the entire nation and we would end up sending hundreds of times more money than needed to run an election.

GrumpyDog
01-22-2013, 10:43 PM
It takes longer to count votes than dollars.

So until Democrats start representing dollars, as much as Republicans do, then there is little hope, that there will be more efficiency.

You must embrace Plutocracy, to get the most efficient voting process.

Dr. Who
01-22-2013, 10:51 PM
I have voted in the same polling place since 2004. I typically have no wait or a 1-2 minute wait. This last time I waited 20 minutes. I read an e-book on my Droid Razer.

Now if we got the federal government involved they would make a 1 size fits all solution for the entire nation and we would end up sending hundreds of times more money than needed to run an election.

They should figure out a fool-proof way of online voting.

Peter1469
01-22-2013, 10:56 PM
They should figure out a fool-proof way of online voting.

Only if there can be 100% transparency immediately with no filtering.

RollingWave
01-22-2013, 10:56 PM
I have voted in the same polling place since 2004. I typically have no wait or a 1-2 minute wait. This last time I waited 20 minutes. I read an e-book on my Droid Razer.

Now if we got the federal government involved they would make a 1 size fits all solution for the entire nation and we would end up sending hundreds of times more money than needed to run an election.

yes I agree in general, I think this is more or less just sort of trolling / baiting the GOP against the supposed rumors(?) that blue state republicans will try to either put in crazy voting restrictions or dividing the electorate only in current blue states.

In general, if a state really actively try to seriously screw the voters or vote process, in this day and age of media coverage and information data. they'll almost certainly be exposed and face a huge firestorm that is going to cost them way more than whatever petty gains they get anyway.

JerryAL
01-23-2013, 07:45 AM
I have voted in the same polling place since 2004. I typically have no wait or a 1-2 minute wait. This last time I waited 20 minutes. I read an e-book on my Droid Razer.

Now if we got the federal government involved they would make a 1 size fits all solution for the entire nation and we would end up sending hundreds of times more money than needed to run an election.

Oh please, Republicans have been notorious for decades in their efforts to keep minorities from voting:


http://youtu.be/nElcEPNAHwI

The reason your lines are short is because you probably live in a white Republican district. Florida's Governor Rick Scott tried every dirty trick in the book this last election cycle to suppress votes.

There are many simple solutions to prevent long lines on election day, but somehow it is always in the states where there are Republican governors and state legislatures in charge that voting seems to be made more difficult. Gee, I wonder why that is???

JerryAL
01-23-2013, 07:56 AM
They should figure out a fool-proof way of online voting.

The vote-by-mail system in Oregon, could easily be a model for the other states as well.

Over 80 percent of Oregon residents support it, but of course this would increase voter turnout nationwide which of course, as we all know, Republicans are against.

patrickt
01-23-2013, 08:46 AM
Well, dead people in line to vote don't move quickly. Let's see, the last time I had to show my ID for something took fifteen seconds so that can't be the problem. Perhaps it's dim-witted voters who think voting is like having sex so they insist on a little foreplay.

Peter1469
01-23-2013, 09:14 AM
The vote-by-mail system in Oregon, could easily be a model for the other states as well.

Over 80 percent of Oregon residents support it, but of course this would increase voter turnout nationwide which of course, as we all know, Republicans are against.

I would think that republicans don't mind all people who legally can vote do so one time.

Cigar
01-23-2013, 09:16 AM
Well, dead people in line to vote don't move quickly. Let's see, the last time I had to show my ID for something took fifteen seconds so that can't be the problem. Perhaps it's dim-witted voters who think voting is like having sex so they insist on a little foreplay.

When is the last time you seen a dead person in line fucking? :grin:

zelmo1234
01-23-2013, 11:34 AM
When is the last time you seen a dead person in line fucking? :grin:

Now that's funny right there!

Pete7469
01-23-2013, 01:49 PM
You can bet your ass it's contrived to assist democrook voter fraud. They barely scratched out a victory with low republican turnout, they know what's in store for them in 2014.

Pete7469
01-23-2013, 01:51 PM
Now that's funny right there!

I've seen a lot of voters in line fucking themselves...