erosromantic: The participation percentages aren't that great here in Finland, but the system is similiar. We can vote before the actual election day and the election day is on weekend, usually sunday. Only difference is that you have to vote in your homecity.
Here in Australia we have near 100% participation in voting AND we know who has won office generally on election night. HOW?
1. Voting is COMPULSORY for all registered voters. You are FINED if you do not have a legitimate reason - why? Because it is part of our RESPONSIBILTY as Citizens to contribute our vote to running the nation.
2. We Vote on a SATURDAY (We dont work on Saturdays in Australia) except for Retail and shift workers and such ...
3. We can vote away from our own location - we can vote absentee anywhere in the country provided we can identify ourselves.
4. IF we cannot vote on the day because of work or travel, we can VOTE ahead of time! Our vote is sealed in an anonynmous envelope. We also can register for mail voting. Our federal election took place this year and I knew I was going on holidays. I went to an electoral office, voted
5. We have a central Federal Electoral Agency where we register to vote. This applies whether you vote for your local county, state or Federal government. Eleigibility is a nationally managed system run by the federal government with the power ALLOWED by our States to let the Federal Government apply fair and appropriate criteria for who is eligible
6. Electoral officers are Federal and state employees - trained to do the job.
7. yes - we use paper and we mark with an X. We are allowed to write next to the vote provided we dont write OVER the vote - this gives people the freedom to write what they feel without invalidating their vote - NO we dont get massive queues - because we are able to vote at so many locations (Schools, government buildings, public halls etc)
I'm australian, I like our system, but you're wrong. We have Preferential Voting; and list candidates by preference numbering all candidates for House of representatives Elections and with the option of doing so in the senate. We have roughly 95% turnout, our elections are run by the Australian Electoral Commission, most poll workers are temporary employees, all parties can scrutinize, and most importantly, voting isn't compulsory, *registration* is-people have the choice not to vote for anyone.
8. Votes are counted by federal employees and overseen by scrutineers from the major parties to make sure they are correctly counted. Disputed returns can be recounted - in our last election a protest resulted in a recount and incorrectly counted votes resulted in the correct decision being made.
10. We are talking about computer technology - but whatever may end up being used MUST be able to be used by the most illiterate person in the country, multiple languages (eg: Spanish), blind people, etc etc. So we are not rushing into that- the paper system works quite well - No CHITS folks. Nobody here argues about an election being fixed
Hope you folks get a result with your reform proposal - as a great nation it is vital you exercise your responsibility to vote.
Where I live, voting day is a holiday. It does wonders for the turnout. Also, how come everyone in the world is capable of putting an "X" manually with a pen, by the name he wants to vote for, except people in the US? Are they stupid? Dont they know which end of the pen to write with? Whats up with this sillyness?
except there is a problem. voting centers have your name, you vote...your name gets crossed out. If you have many places you can vote, how are we gonna keep track of all those who already voted?
I'm an election Judge in Texas. Here everyone has to register about a month in advance. I've had a lot of problems throughout the years with voters going to the wrong place to vote. This sounds like a better idea. It's important to remain consistent on the locations but in order to save money on elections when they anticipate low turnout, governments often consolidate the precincts and voters get confused.
I like electronic voting but I am concerned about the potential for abuse.
Jacob, your report is all well and good but you do not show us how the Vote Centers work. What mechanism does Larimer County use to match up the voter with his or her registration and, at the end of voting, how do they resolve the vote on the basis of a precinct?
Frankly, a case study here is a good idea. Had you asked Mr. Doyle how this all works, it would have been more instrumental.
A common sense idea...It'll never catch on. I agree with hyrcan about paper trails. I don't see why there can't be a print-out that voters can place in the ballot box. They can see what choices they made before they drop the paper in the box, and if there is a question about the results, the paper ballots are there, chad-free. It could be like a receipt.
Great idea! People will turn out if they don't have to put up with being shuffled around like idiots! As it is, going to a polling place is like gambling, you don't know if you are even going to get to vote! Our state is going to full mail-in voting--- any thoughts on that?
Larimer County does such a great job! Fort Collins!!
focoboi 3 years ago
erosromantic: The participation percentages aren't that great here in Finland, but the system is similiar. We can vote before the actual election day and the election day is on weekend, usually sunday. Only difference is that you have to vote in your homecity.
tukkajumala 4 years ago
Am blown away by the pain the USA go through.
Here in Australia we have near 100% participation in voting AND we know who has won office generally on election night. HOW?
1. Voting is COMPULSORY for all registered voters. You are FINED if you do not have a legitimate reason - why? Because it is part of our RESPONSIBILTY as Citizens to contribute our vote to running the nation.
2. We Vote on a SATURDAY (We dont work on Saturdays in Australia) except for Retail and shift workers and such ...
erosromantic 4 years ago 2
3. We can vote away from our own location - we can vote absentee anywhere in the country provided we can identify ourselves.
4. IF we cannot vote on the day because of work or travel, we can VOTE ahead of time! Our vote is sealed in an anonynmous envelope. We also can register for mail voting. Our federal election took place this year and I knew I was going on holidays. I went to an electoral office, voted
erosromantic 4 years ago 2
5. We have a central Federal Electoral Agency where we register to vote. This applies whether you vote for your local county, state or Federal government. Eleigibility is a nationally managed system run by the federal government with the power ALLOWED by our States to let the Federal Government apply fair and appropriate criteria for who is eligible
erosromantic 4 years ago
6. Electoral officers are Federal and state employees - trained to do the job.
7. yes - we use paper and we mark with an X. We are allowed to write next to the vote provided we dont write OVER the vote - this gives people the freedom to write what they feel without invalidating their vote - NO we dont get massive queues - because we are able to vote at so many locations (Schools, government buildings, public halls etc)
erosromantic 4 years ago
I'm australian, I like our system, but you're wrong. We have Preferential Voting; and list candidates by preference numbering all candidates for House of representatives Elections and with the option of doing so in the senate. We have roughly 95% turnout, our elections are run by the Australian Electoral Commission, most poll workers are temporary employees, all parties can scrutinize, and most importantly, voting isn't compulsory, *registration* is-people have the choice not to vote for anyone.
ghotifisher 4 years ago
Thanks for the finer points - agreed
erosromantic 4 years ago
8. Votes are counted by federal employees and overseen by scrutineers from the major parties to make sure they are correctly counted. Disputed returns can be recounted - in our last election a protest resulted in a recount and incorrectly counted votes resulted in the correct decision being made.
erosromantic 4 years ago
10. We are talking about computer technology - but whatever may end up being used MUST be able to be used by the most illiterate person in the country, multiple languages (eg: Spanish), blind people, etc etc. So we are not rushing into that- the paper system works quite well - No CHITS folks. Nobody here argues about an election being fixed
Hope you folks get a result with your reform proposal - as a great nation it is vital you exercise your responsibility to vote.
Good luck
erosromantic 4 years ago
9. Because eligibility laws are uniform across our country, there is no discussion about corrupt or improper state laws excluding people
erosromantic 4 years ago
Where I live, voting day is a holiday. It does wonders for the turnout. Also, how come everyone in the world is capable of putting an "X" manually with a pen, by the name he wants to vote for, except people in the US? Are they stupid? Dont they know which end of the pen to write with? Whats up with this sillyness?
Adrazar 4 years ago
except there is a problem. voting centers have your name, you vote...your name gets crossed out. If you have many places you can vote, how are we gonna keep track of all those who already voted?
johnkerry7 4 years ago
i'm pretty positive jake got short changed by $3.
unknowntoanyofyou 4 years ago
she counted it oddly, "3, 4, 5, and 5 is ten" so she gave him 3 singles and a fiver
Romnipotent 4 years ago
I'm an election Judge in Texas. Here everyone has to register about a month in advance. I've had a lot of problems throughout the years with voters going to the wrong place to vote. This sounds like a better idea. It's important to remain consistent on the locations but in order to save money on elections when they anticipate low turnout, governments often consolidate the precincts and voters get confused.
I like electronic voting but I am concerned about the potential for abuse.
Dahbaker 4 years ago 4
Electronic voting if:
1) we get a paper receipt we keep with a control number
2) voter and independent auditors can view all votes and associated control numbers listed by machine to verify vote was counted correctly
3) control number stays anonymous with the voter name
4) number of control numbers exactly match number of voters at a poll
5) receipt includes the vote
6) receipt may NEVER be a required document outside the current election and polling station.
Paper is the ONLY way to audit.
RobC1999 4 years ago 2
Jacob, your report is all well and good but you do not show us how the Vote Centers work. What mechanism does Larimer County use to match up the voter with his or her registration and, at the end of voting, how do they resolve the vote on the basis of a precinct?
Frankly, a case study here is a good idea. Had you asked Mr. Doyle how this all works, it would have been more instrumental.
mhollis 4 years ago
A common sense idea...It'll never catch on. I agree with hyrcan about paper trails. I don't see why there can't be a print-out that voters can place in the ballot box. They can see what choices they made before they drop the paper in the box, and if there is a question about the results, the paper ballots are there, chad-free. It could be like a receipt.
(Just a thought.)
lookingforananswer 4 years ago 2
totally agree and i really hope this catches on!
phloridababe 4 years ago
Great idea! People will turn out if they don't have to put up with being shuffled around like idiots! As it is, going to a polling place is like gambling, you don't know if you are even going to get to vote! Our state is going to full mail-in voting--- any thoughts on that?
mystykit 4 years ago
94% Holy crap for crap! Vote Centers sound awesome, but we need paper trails. Common sense? That's a 4letter word in US politics.
oh and...sorry...can't resist... the 80's called and want their sunglasses back ;D heehee
hyrcan 4 years ago 2
:) they were $7 on venice beach. i had to buy them. -jacob
WhyTuesday 4 years ago