After a Fraught Election, Questions Over the Impact of a Balky Voting Process

MSN NYtimes ^ | November 12, 2016

[SMGFan]

So few Americans cast ballots that a new president was elected by barely 25 percent of registered voters. Some of those who did vote waited in line for hours. Others were told they needed an ID to vote under a law the courts had nullified months ago — and sometimes, under laws that never existed to begin with. Amid the ruins of the ugliest presidential campaign in modern history, Democrats are bemoaning an election apparatus so balky and politically malleable that throngs of would-be voters either gave up trying to cast ballots or cast ones that were never counted.

[SMGFan]

Again repeating the same lies. "Studies show — and some Republicans admit — that such laws disproportionately reduce Democratic turnout because many of the laws require IDs that low-income and immigrant voters, who are often Democrats, frequently lack."

[IronJack]

I don't care if those laws "disproportionately reduce Democrat turnout." Maybe the Democrats who have so much trouble getting an ID are the very people we WANT to exclude.

There is NOTHING wrong with protecting the integrity of the electoral process. Anything less undermines the faith we have in our government, and the whole structure collapses. Resisting the effort to clean up voting is nothing short of treason.

[Morpheus2009]

Maybe if the turnout changed, it would mean that Democrats have to appeal more to middle class voters and less to the sjw brats, and less to the illegal immigrant vote.

[dp0622]

I like the way they word it to make it sound like only 25 percent of registered voters voted.

No. 50 percent did, including both sides.

They are fomenting the protests and hoping for some kind of terrible miracle.

They NEVER GET that if Rome burns they will too!!

[Fresh Wind]

"After a Fraught Election..."

They misspelled "fraud".

[RonnG]

I was once opposed to a national ID card on the basis of privacy rights but there is no right to privacy in this day and age, except the right to an abortion. There has to be a card of some kind to show proof of citizenship when you register and when you vote. If it takes a constitution amendment( which it doesn’t ) so be it.

[smokingfrog]

Their just upset because felons and illegals are supposed to be prevented from voting.

[KarlInOhio]

The “immigrant” vote being prevented by ID requirements is real BS. Legal immigrants who become citizens are some of the most photographed, fingerprinted and IDed people around. They have a pile of paperwork proving who they are and that they are allowed to vote, while most natural born citizens just have a half worn out copy of their birth certificate, one of the easiest to forge documents around.

[VanDeKoik]

“that such laws disproportionately reduce Democratic turnout because many of the laws require IDs that low-income and immigrant voters, who are often Democrats, frequently lack.”

“Ami Horowitz: How white liberals really view black voters “

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrBxZGWCdgs

The white leftist are the biggest racists out there.

[Flavious_Maximus]

“...25 percent of registered voters...”

There’s the tip off. Anyone can REGISTER to vote, including illegals and dead people.

[Don W]

If you’re too stupid, lazy or unmotivated to get an ID, why should anyone think that you are motivated enough to understand the issues and cast an informed vote?

No ID, no vote. Heavens, if I had my way if you didn’t pay your taxes last year you shouldn’t vote either. Why should you have a say in how tax dollars are spent if you don’t have any skin in the game?

Oh, that goes for all private and corporate political donations, too: no taxes paid, no donations allowed. Whether it’s for a referendum, a plebiscite, the dogcatcher’s job, no pay tax, no vote (or run either!)

[HotHunt]

The "wining" and sour grapes continue unabated from the Left. None of this species of humans (translation: that would be liberals/progressives/socialists/Marxists) can accept blame for their failures or unintended consequences. Even the Clinton campaign, has pointedly placed the blame on Comey and the FBI and refuse to take any responsibility for the epic loss themselves.

Well, guess what liberals? Elections have REAL consequences and that's the way this country runs. Wasn't it Obama who told Republicans, "I won. Get over it."?

You whiners, moaners, groaners, complainers and crybabies need to grow up and act like adults, instead of the insufferable 3 year old tantrum-throwing toddlers that you are.

[exDemMom]

Wow, almost a lie per sentence. That is amazing.

Almost 134 million people voted. If the author of this screed understood basic math, he would know that this is over 1/3 of the country. Furthermore, if we were to believe that this represents 25% of registered voters, that would mean there are 536 million registered voters in this country.

This is the US, not China. We don’t have that many people.

And voter ID laws are not only Constitutional (they passed Supreme court review, even among liberal justices), they are necessary to prevent voter disenfranchisement.

There really is no need to go to the site to see what other lies might have been told in this article.

[grania]

I would submit that any one who is curious about the process become an official poll worker for one presidential election. I did so, and mygosh, it was an experience worth having. It's a paid job. I doubt anyone would do it a second time for the paycheck. It's a lot more challenging than it appears.

Here's my suggestion: The problem isn't counting if it's done correctly. A paper ballot with a scanner, a check on the number of voters in the precinct then posting the results works just fine. Then and only then should technology get involved (the counts already exist in raw form with verification). Get rid of early voting and absentee voting. A way to do it would be to have polls open the first weekend of November and that's it. Have the deadline for registration and changes be a few weeks before that. Have this election be only for President/VP and any US Senate seat in the state.

Keep it simple, keep it local, and keep it fair.

JMHO

[Dust in the Wind]

Legal immigrants who become citizens are some of the most photographed, fingerprinted and IDed people around. They have a pile of paperwork proving who they are and that they are allowed to vote.

You are speaking the truth right there!

[SMGFan]

After another election as a poll worker 515AM to 815PM I like idea of maybe Saturday 8am to 6 pm and Sunday 10 AM to 6Pm ( adjusted for time zones for unified closing times) would seem better.

[FoxInSocks]

dp0622 pointed this out above. The author said Trump was elected by 25 percent. Twenty-five percent voted for Clinton. I believe he was seeking to implant the impression of 25 percent turnout.

[grania]

My day was 5:30AM until almost 9PM. We were so busy that everybody getting a lunch break was a challenge. We also had to be there from 6PM-7:30 Monday night, and for a 4-hour training session before being formerly assigned to a precinct.

Another suggestion for what would help was that if it be only Pres/VP and any US Senators. That it was two large pages both sides in our ward made the scanning awkward. Then there were voters who ignored other races and referendum issues, some very important, because that isn't where their focus was. A few voters were a bit intimidated by the questions they hadn't focused on.

[SMGFan]

No scanning in Hudson County, but so much confusion with provisional ballots. Started with 50 Provisional ballots. Early in the day all districts received a box of additional 100 ballots. There were crowds in Jersey City.
Everyone who lived in that district and not in the official voter roll book was able to vote PB. 16 PB plus nearly 400 votes. No doubt those who registered with DMV were not counted. Stupid motor Voter.