Fresh when it gets here from
Julie Barrett
Monday, August 12, 2024
I see the voting misinformation machine is gearing up again. Let's take a look at some of their points:
1. Vote counts should be available the evening of election day. Agreed, but there are some caveats here. Technical issues can happen. The courts can keep some polling stations open late if there are issues that prevent people from voting. (A power outage, perhaps.) What you get isn't the whole picture. But if you go look at your county vote count (it's available where I live starting shortly after the polls close and updated through the evening) you can see the number of uncounted votes and outstanding ballots. Because:
2. Votes received after election day shouldn't count. Then you're fine with possibly thousands of military votes not being counted? Many states allow extra time for those to come in. Big Red Texas allows a voter to cast a provisional ballot if they have an issue, such as ID not matching residency information or a typo in someone's name. If that happens to you, you have six days after the election to fix it. So while you may have voted on time, your vote won't count unless you "cure" your ballot by the deadline. Some local elections in Texas have been very close. Those military and provisional ballots may make a difference in the count, but you won't get those numbers on election night.
3. We should go back to paper ballots. Then you're okay with a repeat of the LBJ Box 13 scandal. You're okay with an official "losing" boxes of ballots? Not to mention the time it takes to count them. That's also incompatible with the idea that all votes can be counted and reported by the end of the day. You can't have it both ways. I like the system that spits out a paper ballot after the electronic ballot has been cast. The voter then checks it over and places it in a reader. That reader is part of a locked box, where the ballots stay until and unless they're needed. Is it perfect? No, but it provides some redundancy in case something goes wrong. If you think this will all be perfect, then I have a bridge of the Trinity River to sell you. Cheap.
Yes, there will be close votes. Recounts will be requested. As a result, vote counts can change. Remember, a vote count isn't final until it's certified. The certification date will vary by jurisdiction and state. Do yourself a favor and look those dates up. (Yes, yes, there are looming issues over certification. But of course. That's another screed.)
Plus a caveat or three: There may be some exceptions to the above. Check your state and local laws before you come here with whattaboutism. Always check sources and facts before you share memes and other crap on social media. YMMV.
What can you do? Vote. Vote early if you want. Just don't vote often in the same election. That's not cool.