I Better Vote Tomorrow...

[soccerdad72]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree, I see no reason why a resident of any state can't understand how voting works in the state they live in. I don't think income level, age or being non-English speaking matter, especially if voting is so important to them. If it isn't important enough for them to understand the process, and they haven't bothered to vote in 7 years, why is it suddenly a problem that they would have to re-register after that long of being inactive?

I think part of the problem with lower income residents is that they tend to be more transient, therefore making it difficult for any government agency to get information to those people. It's easy enough for many of us to say they should be able to check their mail, but for many of these people, where they are living in a given month can be constantly changing, so it's not as easy to get mail.

 

[Boardwalk Jedi]

How does this target low income or minority voters?

Voter roles should be kept current. If someone has not voted in 7.5 years and does not respond within three months to a written request to say yeah I am still here, what is the outrage?

I understand ID requirements can be a burden due to costs and transportation issues but these people were given multiple ways to respond, phone, mail, and internet.

They can simply register to vote again.

Same day? And the word "simply" doesn't apply to everyone. Put yourself in other people's shoes before making judgements.

 

[kdonnel]

Same day? And the word "simply" doesn't apply to everyone. Put yourself in other people's shoes before making judgements.

There are rules for voting. The rules should not be a burden. Voting once every 7.5 years or responding to a mailing in a timely fashion(within 3 months) is not a burden.

 

[RedAngie]

Two other lines that were in the letter I received:

"When we check the voter records after the election, we hope to have a chance to thank you for doing your part as a citizen."

"P.S. To better understand why people do or do not vote, we may call you after the election to discuss your voting experience."

Whatever floats their boat. It's not like I'd ever discuss it with them.

I'm not annoyed nor shamed by the letter. I just thought it would be an amusing thing to share on the board.

 

[cruiser21]

I think part of the problem with lower income residents is that they tend to be more transient, therefore making it difficult for any government agency to get information to those people. It's easy enough for many of us to say they should be able to check their mail, but for many of these people, where they are living in a given month can be constantly changing, so it's not as easy to get mail.

Poor people are transient? What are we talking about homeless people? I work with a number of people that make just above minimum wage The all have smart phones, homes, internet and access to mail. They are not stupid people that can’t figure out to register to vote.

 

[Hikergirl]

I think part of the problem with lower income residents is that they tend to be more transient, therefore making it difficult for any government agency to get information to those people. It's easy enough for many of us to say they should be able to check their mail, but for many of these people, where they are living in a given month can be constantly changing, so it's not as easy to get mail.

Do you have actual stats that show that?
In my experience, both past and current, the people I know who fall in to the low income threshold are not transient at all. In fact they tend to stay where they are because that is what they can afford. They have apartments and even homes with addresses, mail boxes and phones.
If you are speaking about homeless people I would agree, but the fact that someone is lower income doesn't automatically mean they are jumping from place to place. You seem to be generalizing about them and I'm just wondering if you have some information to show that you are correct.

 

[soccerdad72]

Do you have actual stats that show that?
In my experience, both past and current, the people I know who fall in to the low income threshold are not transient at all. In fact they tend to stay where they are because that is what they can afford. They have apartments and even homes with addresses, mail boxes and phones.
If you are speaking about homeless people I would agree, but the fact that someone is lower income doesn't automatically mean they are jumping from place to place. You seem to be generalizing about them and I'm just wondering if you have some information to show that you are correct.

No stats, just personal experience. I work for a Community College and in working with many of our academic departments, they have told me that tracking down their students can be difficult because while they're not necessarily homeless, per se, they often are living with different friends or family from month to month.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I miss NY's old voting booths with the curtain and the lever. The new scanners are a lot less gratifying. I took the voter worker education class so I know allegedly those scanners are hacker proof but I still liked those old curtain booths better.

Me too, I miss those mechanical lever machines. We even used them back in high school for student government elections. Filling in bubbles on a piece of paper just isn’t the same!

And new technology still has issues. Jammed scanners at many polling places across NYC today are causing long lines and lots of frustration.

I’m a little jealous of those who get stickers. I vote every year and only once received a sticker, in 2016.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

No stats, just personal experience. I work for a Community College and in working with many of our academic departments, they have told me that tracking down their students can be difficult because while they're not necessarily homeless, per se, they often are living with different friends or family from month to month.

You're talking about students? That's a totally different subset of people than low income. Certainly students can be low income but not all low income people are students.

 

[Hikergirl]

No stats, just personal experience. I work for a Community College and in working with many of our academic departments, they have told me that tracking down their students can be difficult because while they're not necessarily homeless, per se, they often are living with different friends or family from month to month.

It seems we are talking about different types of people, I'm speaking more about adults who are working and live in poor areas.
My ds is a community college student, and low income but he lives here at home. If he decides to move out I imagine he would have to crash at different friends houses in order to not be homeless. And since this was the first election he was eligible to vote in, he wouldn't be worrying about whether or not he was being taken off the voter rolls.

 

[cruiser21]

You're talking about students? That's a totally different subset of people than low income. Certainly students can be low income but not all low income people are students.

Yes and many students are being supported by mom and dad. Who may or may not be low income.

 

[Boardwalk Jedi]

Poor people are transient? What are we talking about homeless people? I work with a number of people that make just above minimum wage The all have smart phones, homes, internet and access to mail. They are not stupid people that can’t figure out to register to vote.

And voting shouldn't be made more inconvenient or difficult. And yes, if you talk to anyone who works in a school system - poor families tend to be more transient. Not always by choice either.

 

[Boardwalk Jedi]

There are rules for voting. The rules should not be a burden. Voting once every 7.5 years or responding to a mailing in a timely fashion(within 3 months) is not a burden.

Says you. You have no idea why people don't vote.

 

[kdonnel]

Says you. You have no idea why people don't vote.

They are not required to vote. All they have to do is respond within 3 months to a mailing once every 7.5 years. If they fail to respond a second mailing is sent telling them they have been struck and how to register.

 

[hopemax]

In my experience, both past and current, the people I know who fall in to the low income threshold are not transient at all. In fact they tend to stay where they are because that is what they can afford.

I suspect there is a lot of regional variation. We were not low income, but rented for many years. We were the only renters we knew who weren't moving every year. Reasons for most was that their rent was being jacked up at the end of their lease and they couldn't afford the new rate. Family were renters and had to move because they lived in a region with a lot of development so their buildings were being sold off and re-developed. When my parents first moved to Orlando "condo conversion" was a really big deal, and it was playing havoc with my Mom's WDW co-workers maintaining a stable living situation.

This is very different from my relatives who lived in rural areas who are low income. Rents aren't skyrocking, property values aren't skyrocketing so landlords aren't motivated to turn over their renters or convert their property.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm all for the right to vote but I will say......I'm going to love when all the TV political ads, political flyers, and phone calls STOP!!

Get TV ads for NJ, NYC, Long Island, NY and CT, plus my very civic minded 20 year old must’ve taken some survey, we get so many phone calls for him, plus ringing our doorbell. I promised the woman that he sent in his absentee ballot (which he did, after researching every candidate).

Dd22 got the shame letter, she did miss an election (she was away at college). I’ve never missed an election, just how I was raised.

 

[skyblue17]

They are not required to vote. All they have to do is respond within 3 months to a mailing once every 7.5 years. If they fail to respond a second mailing is sent telling them they have been struck and how to register.

I think this is generational also. I've voted in every November election and often vote in primaries (which in NYC is more often than some places since we split them up). I also am awful at dealing with my mail. I often miss things mailed to my apartment for various reasons, sometimes simply because I don't open every piece of mail when it looks like most of it is "junk." I consider myself a generally organized person but to remember to look out for, open and respond to a piece of mail that I might not even know I'm getting would be pretty unrealistic.

If someone who was politically apathetic for some time realizes just prior to an election that they actually do want to be re-inovlved, do you believe that they should not be allowed to vote? You can't register to vote on Election Day in a good number of states, and many have deadlines well before Election Day. If you went somewhere with a good intention in mind and were told that you missed your window to participate, would that encourage you to try again in the future? It's yet another thing that could potentially turn away people who want to vote, and are simply uniformed of the process.

 

[cruiser21]

And voting shouldn't be made more inconvenient or difficult. And yes, if you talk to anyone who works in a school system - poor families tend to be more transient. Not always by choice either.

It's very expensive to move. I highly doubt that. How are they making voting more difficult? Making people register? checking ID's?

 

[Hikergirl]

I think this is generational also. I've voted in every November election and often vote in primaries (which in NYC is more often than some places since we split them up). I also am awful at dealing with my mail. I often don't miss things mailed to my apartment for various reasons, sometimes simply because I don't open every piece of mail when it looks like most of it is "junk." I consider myself a generally organized person but to remember to look out for, open and respond to a piece of mail that I might not even know I'm getting would be pretty realistic.

If someone who was politically apathetic for some time realizes just prior to an election that they actually do want to be re-inovlved, do you believe that they should not be allowed to vote? You can't register to vote on Election Day in a good number of states, and many have deadlines well before Election Day. If you went somewhere with a good intention in mind and were told that you missed your window to participate, would that encourage you to try again in the future? It's yet another thing that could potentially turn away people who want to vote, and are simply uniformed of the process.

I would expect them to be "better" with their mail. That really isn't anyone elses fault but their own. If they decide they want to vote after 7 years of being inactive but ignored their mail for the previous 6 months that is really on them.
Ignorance isn't an excuse, if you are voting in this country and you are uninformed at how the process works, that is on you. You can't cry about it and blame anyone else for what you chose to be ignorant about.

I know that pesky personal responsibility thing bothers people, maybe that's really the generational "thing" we are seeing.

(That wasn't directed at you personally, it was a general thing using your not good with mail thing as a discussion point.)

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

I vote for everything. Every national, state and city election. I did early voting last week and also got to go to a rally and meet some very important people! Now for just one more vote. I'm waiting on Disney to hold the vote to bring back EMH! The ones they have now are a joke!