US Election. Plz explain something to me before I hit the sack.

[FrustratedUser]

I spent the last 6 hours watching the coverage and now towards the end they discuss provisional ballots in Ohio.
So WTH is a provisional ballot? It sounds like a 2'nd grade vote that doesn't get counted until 11 days after today. Also, what is an absentee (sp?) ballot?

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
I spent the last 6 hours watching the coverage and now towards the end they discuss provisional ballots in Ohio.
So WTH is a provisional ballot? It sounds like a 2'nd grade vote that doesn't get counted until 11 days after today. Also, what is an absentee (sp?) ballot?

an absentee ballot is for those like me who cannot be in my township to vote, it gets sent out to me with every choice on it.

MIKE

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

A provisional ballot is a ballot that they give when they're not 100% sure whether a person is able to vote or not. They then figure that out afterwards, and throw out the ballot if they found the person can't vote.

 

[FoBoT]

it is a ballot for people that couldn't get registered properly or didn't know where to go vote

people that know how to vote correctly don't get provisional ballots

 

[FrustratedUser]

Thank you.
It's a bit more clear now but I still don't really understand the provisional ballot. Is it a special piece of paper sent out before the election? How can people not know how to vote? You go to the polls and drop your vote right, or no.....?

When you go and vote do you bring a ballot from home or are they given to you at the place you vote?

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
Thank you.
It's a bit more clear now but I still don't really understand the provisional ballot. Is it a special piece of paper sent out before the election?

No, it's given to you at the polling place.

How can people not know how to vote? You go to the polls and drop your vote right, or no.....?

Some people get confused about where to vote. Some people slip through the cracks and for whatever reason, don't show up on the lists. I'm sure there are other special circumstances too.

When you go and vote do you bring a ballot from home or are they given to you at the place you vote?

They give you a ballot at the polls.

 

[Kaervak]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
Thank you.
It's a bit more clear now but I still don't really understand the provisional ballot. Is it a special piece of paper sent out before the election? How can people not know how to vote? You go to the polls and drop your vote right, or no.....?

When you go and vote do you bring a ballot from home or are they given to you at the place you vote?

It's not about people not knowing how to vote it's about the voting local not knowing whether or not the person can vote there/is registered to vote. Example, you've just registered to vote and your name isn't in the book of registered voters. You say well, I'm registered, here's where I live and here's my ID. They say, ok here's a ballot, vote and we'll set it aside until we can confirm you are who you say you are. If everything check out, your vote is counted.

 

[FrustratedUser]

Aha, I see.

 

[FoBoT]

people that are trying to commit voter fraud end up with a provisional ballot

a very low percentage of provisional ballots will be validated, most of them are inproper ballots and will be tossed out

 

[FrustratedUser]

The system seems to be a bit fvcked up.


Thank you for clearing this up.

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
it is a ballot for people that couldn't get registered properly or didn't know where to go vote

people that know how to vote correctly don't get provisional ballots

This is very misleading and uneducated.

There are situations where provisional ballots are needed. For example, my precinct is absentee only since there are not enough registered voters. What did they send my roommate and in our absentee packets? Fake sample ballots. NO ballots. No ballot stubs. So we had to vote using provisional ballots.

 

[imported_Mike]

I had to do a provisional ballot b/c I live in a small pocket of county surrounded by cities. Basically, I didn't have a designated polling place, a "dead zone" as the polling volunteers put it . I went to the closest polling center and cast my votes there. Im in CA though, but thats just an example of a provisional ballot.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
people that are trying to commit voter fraud end up with a provisional ballot

a very low percentage of provisional ballots will be validated, most of them are inproper ballots and will be tossed out

That is one of most ignorant posts ive seen about elections thus far.

 

[FrustratedUser]

I'm gonna have to go ahead and hit the sack now, mmmmKK! Thanks.

 

[Tsunami982]

i dont think the whole provisional ballot thing will help kerry in the end. he would have to get such a huge percentage that technically its possible but highly improbable. kerry really should just concede but after fighting such a hard race id probably be hanging on to every thread of hope too.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: FoBoT
people that are trying to commit voter fraud end up with a provisional ballot

a very low percentage of provisional ballots will be validated, most of them are inproper ballots and will be tossed out

That is one of most ignorant posts ive seen about elections thus far.

well, it's true that STUPID people trying to commit voter fraud would end up with provisional ballots...

 

[FrustratedUser]

Before this thread goes off-topic and turn into a flame war, I like to say that nobody should concede until ALL votes are counted.
That is democracy.

Goodnight!
:moon:

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: FoBoT
people that are trying to commit voter fraud end up with a provisional ballot

a very low percentage of provisional ballots will be validated, most of them are inproper ballots and will be tossed out

That is one of most ignorant posts ive seen about elections thus far.

well, it's true that STUPID people trying to commit voter fraud would end up with provisional ballots...

While that is true, saying that those who use a provisional ballot are trying to commit voter fraud is just plain stupid. His whole post reeks of ignorance as 90% of provisional ballots were valid in Ohio last election.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: FoBoT
people that are trying to commit voter fraud end up with a provisional ballot

a very low percentage of provisional ballots will be validated, most of them are inproper ballots and will be tossed out

That is one of most ignorant posts ive seen about elections thus far.

well, it's true that STUPID people trying to commit voter fraud would end up with provisional ballots...

While that is true, saying that those who use a provisional ballot are trying to commit voter fraud is just plain stupid. His whole post reeks of ignorance as 90% of provisional ballots were valid in Ohio last election.

He never said that those using provisional ballots are trying to commit voter fraud; he said that those attempting voter fraud use provisional ballots to do so.

He basically stated 3 facts in his post, and they're either true or not. I'm too lazy to look them up and find out. But his post doesn't really contain explicit opinion -- although you can definitely smell it.

 

[user1234]

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: FoBoT
people that are trying to commit voter fraud end up with a provisional ballot

a very low percentage of provisional ballots will be validated, most of them are inproper ballots and will be tossed out

That is one of most ignorant posts ive seen about elections thus far.

true, the Ohio commisionor said over 90% of provisional ballots in 2000 were approved.