Sep 07 2008
Vote-by-Mail Convenient Way to Cast Ballots
I got an email a couple of hours ago from the Orange County, California Registrar of Voters. The message said in part,
“We are preparing now to ramp up our production of vote-by-mail ballots. This process involves weeks of testing paper stock and making sure that ballots will scan correctly. It has just been in recent years that the Department has advanced its testing procedures to provide triple redundancy in our scanning process. Paper stock can vary by production runs and we must make certain that thickness and grain remains in our strict tolerances. We are the only county in the country to run two high-speed inserters which automates the process of preparing vote-by-mail ballots (formerly known as absentee ballots). Look for additional information on this process in the near future as well as video blogs on the topic.”
An email from the Registrar’s office last week said mail ballots may not be sent to me until late-September. I joined the growing legion of mail voters several years ago. I’m now a permanent absentee voter on the county rolls. At one time, such a distinction was reserved to people considered too infirmed to go to a polling place. Now, anyone in the county can declare the designation and get a mail ballot.
The ballot must be either mailing soon enough to be received by the Registrar’s office by 8 p.m. on the day of the election, when live polls close, or be hand-delivered to any polling place in the county. I typically use the closest one, the high school where I used to vote. I prefer to wait until Election Day so I can get as much information on the candidates and issues as possible. You’ll hear news this fall about up to 20 percent of voters in some states casting ballots early. I don’t mind voting for a third-party candidate sometimes but I don’t want to waste my vote on someone who quits the race after I submit my ballot.
Alternative ways to having to stand in line to cast a vote are definately a plus!
I agree with that, Katieanne. I hate waiting in line for anything, even voting. In most states, polls are open from 12 to 14 hours. Therefore, there must be a lull sometime during the day. I like to go about 5 p.m., after the high school has closed but before the evening voters have arrived from work.