Comments on: The rituals of voting

By: bashir

bashir — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:44:30 +0000

you know, you’re kinda cute with that “I just voted” smirk on your face

By: Naveen Garg

Naveen Garg — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 23:23:55 +0000

It pains me to see no mention of web based voting in current dialogue on electronic voting and voting reform. What's the obsession with having to have a paper trail? Why can't their be an electronic record? One social security number, one vote, keep the answers in a secure database that only the voter can access later. Why can't this supplement the present system? Why does it have to be either or? Keep the paper ballot system, just add a web based one for people who don't have time to vote, but whose opinion is probably atleast as important as the people with time to vote.

The only argument i can think of against web based voting is that it will be too effective. And no one is making that argument.

The problem is there are no pro web based voting people out there...

prove me wrong sepia folks.

By: watevz

watevz — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 01:07:26 +0000

would come back to screw me someday when my opponent reveals my sordid past to the electorate

abhi for president 2032!

and we all thought sepia mutiny exists for our internet-delight…but nefarious abhi has OTHER plans up his sleeve….

By: Milind

Milind — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 18:33:55 +0000

Do any of those decisions involve losing playoff series when you come in as a favorite (occasionally overwhelmingly so)? If so, maybe you should find other representations

By: Milind

Milind — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 18:15:37 +0000

BUT voting by mail is HIGHLY effective, and results in a higher turnout rate.

Which leads to an interesting conundrum. Is turnout for the sake of turnout the right thing to be pursuing? Or is it better to have a lower turnout with less fraud? Arguably, the 50-60% of Americans who do turn out to vote still produce a representative sample of the population, and hence the results aren't significantly different (I don't necessarily believe that this is true, but it certainly may be). If that's the case, isn't it better trade turnout for more trustworthy results?

By: taz

taz — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:42:52 +0000

here in oregon we're all doing mail in The major source of electoral fraud in the US is mail in ballots.

BUT voting by mail is HIGHLY effective, and results in a higher turnout rate. I encourage everyone in CA to register to vote with the Permanent Absentee Voter option - It means an absentee ballot comes to you by mail every election (until you miss two). LA & OC provide mutli-lingual voter materials, (no desi languages though) so when people do get absentee ballots, they are limited english - but have all the info they need in their mother tongue - they are morel likely to vote. And to vote smart.

In the OC btw, 60% + of their vietnamese voters turnout to vote by absentee. This is HUGE.

By: Shruti

Shruti — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:26:53 +0000

4) Pump yourself up: Voting is hot and most people look more attractive with an “I just voted” sticker on their chest. Granted that we don’t get to dip our fingers in purple ink, but still. To get pumped I like to give myself a motivational speech while looking in the mirror just prior to going to city hall.

Voting is weird when you're in a church. Where I live, most of the polling places are run by churches and affiliated religious institutions. I can count on one hand the number of times I've been inside of a church, and two of the times has been for voting. Just being in the place and looking around is overwhelming enough - it certainly doesn't help that the whole thing is conducted by these really old white men decked out in patriotic gear. Hmmm.

By: Sriram

Sriram — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:02:16 +0000

Great link, Taz. Thank you.

By: Beige Siege

Beige Siege — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:56:49 +0000

Is’nt it about time people voted on the internet or via text message? Physically going somewhere to vote is so .. 20th century.

By: Ennis

Ennis — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:38:30 +0000

here in oregon we're all doing mail in

The major source of electoral fraud in the US is mail in ballots.