New York is one state, so when Albany establishes how elections will occur, it's not a mandate, it's the law. As for expense, the costs of facilitating participation and allowing the people to express their will is very small compared to the size of the government they are hoping to influence.
We need more democracy, not less, and if the local county legislature wants to enhance the public's right to vote, they could start with allowing direct election of a county executive.
I don't know if the proposed early voting system is the best one, and I don't agree with some states that have go so far that elections and campaigns lose focus.
Surely, there is room for compromise and Republicans should worry about finding ways to win elections, and not worrying about clinging to the current system.
I think of a more modest change. End the absentee requirement of having a reason to vote ahead of time. Currently voters have to fib to get a ballot and frankly it's no one's business why you vote early and there are safeguards against voting again on Election Day.
But back to expense. As a citizen, I don't mind a few thousand dollars of my almost $200 county budget going to running elections, however we decide to do them.
Watertown Daily Times | Jefferson County election commissioners oppose early voting legislation
17 comments:
Concentrate on running the city and stay out of county business.
Quit hanging out with MCM, now you are writing ridiculous opinions too.
When we talk about unfunded mandates we are always talking about laws every time. If its not a law its not a mandate.
You forgot to say "access to" and disenfranchised in your spiel about voting too.
One day of voting coupled with absentee ballots is all that should be necessary for voting. If there are some places with long lines then those places need to open more polls. Don't mandate to the counties that have no lines and no problems.
Its got to be boring enough on voting day to be a staffer at the polling stations. Can you imagine sitting around there days on end before the big day? Ridiculous.
Of course the real reason for all of this is for ACORN to do voter fraud. Ooops...I forgot voter fraud does not exist...voting is the one thing where everyone is honest.
safeguards? Worked out well in parts of Ohio. I'm sure everything is on the up and up in the big cities...Chicago comes to mind.
8:32: You had me with you right up to your paranoiac rant about ACORN. That's what wrong with you Tea Party types. You make sense up to a point and then you just get stupid, and always lose the election. But anyway, I don't know what would spur Ms. Russell to sponsor this type of a law. I have voted here for decades, and have never heard of any long lines, disenfranchisement etc. Bottom line, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And if this is a debate about an elected county official as opposed to the present system, well that's a whole other issue unrelated to this early voting scheme.
"and if the local county legislature wants to enhance the public's right to vote, they could start with allowing direct election of a county executive."
Perhaps then you favor the city manager being elected or a strong mayor form of government so that we the citizens don't have to deal with someone like you who "dabbles" in this business or is a ribbon cutting mayor and doesn't ever seem to take the city business serious.
A great compromise would be to require ID at the voting booth and allow them to open the polls for two days instead of one. Tthat would give voters 100% more time to vote.
1014.
Strong mayor is fine with me. Seems your quarrel is with the insiders who have perpetuated a system where elected representation is so devalued, a reviled person like me could win five times.....Is that what you are tring to say ?
But then again you won't say that with your name attached.
10:11 don't be so thin skinned and try to get a sense of humor.
The Tea Party you claim always loses elections, is the reason you have the house right now. But don't let facts get in the way of your self loathing. By all means, cry, sob and adopt whatever liberal policy you think will win you votes.
And if you don't believe that voter fraud exists or that the party that fights voter ID laws is the biggest offender, or that longer elections is more opportunity to cheat, then you are naive beyond all hope.
Why wouldn't voter fraud exist? Because there is no opportunity for it?
Because the people involved are too honest?
Because no one is passionate enough about the outcome to cheat?
Oh I remember...because there is no "study" from a university professor to show that it exists.
You mention that we should follow the Laws of New York. Then, it's not in the voter's best interest to follow your advice as Mayor and as you call it "fib", or some might say "lie" on a signed affadavit.
This is not a "kneejerk" reaction, it's actually based on the NYS Constitution, Article II Section 2 which states:
The legislature may, by general law, provide a manner in which, and the time and place at which, qualified voters who, on the occurrence of any election, may be absent from the county of their residence or, if residents of the city of New York, from the city, and qualified voters who, on the occurrence of any election, may be unable to appear personally at the polling place because of illness or physical disability, may vote and for the return and canvass of their votes. (Formerly §1-a. Renumbered by Constitutional Convention of 1938 and approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938; amended by vote of the people November 4, 1947; November 8, 1955; November 5, 1963.)
As far as costs are concerned, a few thousand dollars is a gross understatement of the costs that would be placed on the taxpayers.
Jerry Eaton, Jefferson County Election Commissioner (R)
If you read "Prague Winter", you will see how the Soviets took over in 1948 by restricting people from voting.
You are correct Mr. Mayor, in a true democracy everyone should have the right, and be encouraged to vote.
Anyone trying to take away that right is probably doing it for the wrong reasons. I.E.: I want to have the right to own a military assault weapon, but I don't want you to have the right to vote.
Anyone that says we need more than one day to vote, and if we don't get it, then we are taking away the right to vote, is an ACORN subversive spinmiester wannabe.
The answer to voting lines that are too long, is to open more polling places, not extend the election.
I agree the system is fine the way it is. Early voting would be a huge waste of money, (sorry Jeff.) But when you drag ACORN in, you just look like stupid racist rednecks. ACORN died in 2008. Move on. Just look at any pro ACORN post on here and you can see how ignorant these newbie Republicans or whatever they are sound. Hence, we continue to lose elections. They are killing my party. Bring back the Establishment! Reagan, Dave Martin, Bob Nortz, Doug Barclay, Bob McEwen. These guys were sensible grown ups who knew how to govern and how to win elections.
ACORN was at its strongest in 2008.
It was not until late 2009 that the video of ACORN advising a couple posing as a pimp and an underage prostitute was released.
It was not until 2010 that ACORN was on the verge of bankruptcy from that exposure.
One of the largest chapters of ACORN was the New York Chapter which simply changed its name to:
http://www.nycommunities.org/
They have all the same leaders and members as they did as ACORN.
They occupy the same office space as ACORN did.
They have all the left wing issues as they always did.
Which coincidentally are the same issues that Mike Flinn is constantly talking about.
Dave Martin, Bob Nortz, Doug Barclay, Bob McEwen were part of the problem and the Tea Party has to clean up their mess.
I love it when the Tea Party tries to clean up messes in the GOP. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)had the Dems down and out until the Tea Party came along and took over the GOP.
Eventually, we will have a third party in this country with candidates like Senators Rubio, Paul and Cruz as headliners, and when that happens, the Democrats will begin to control everything.
As long as CPAC sees Sarah Palin as a viable candidate, and "disses" the likes of Chris Christy, The GOP is wasting it's time and money on elections.
“Mayor’s Position on Empowering Mayor of Watertown Evolving”
Mayor Graham: I’m just saying, when I said on your radio show ‘Hotline’ after your re-election that we needed a strong Mayor, versus a City Council Management type of system, you disagreed at that time with me and said, “The powers that be don’t want it.” I'm glad you're position on a strong Mayor in Watertown is 'Evolving' at this point. Our City Council must park its ego and at least be able to admit it makes mistakes and then rectify those mistakes for the good of all in the area and City. A smart Mayor however would avoid most of their more egregious mistakes and the City wouldn’t be humiliated as it has recently.
Mike Flynn 'Middle Class Mike'
When evaluating opinions on changing local government to elected managers/supervisors, Keep in mind that Mike, and his like minded friend Danny, have never fixed or run anything in their lives. Keep in mind that they are the same people that constantly complain about the poor quality of candidates we get.
10:04, before you bash the Tea Party too bad, you should shake your ignorant angry fist at them for giving the lower house back to the GOP. thus stopping Obama from completely destroying our country in 4 years.
Irony alert...
The party that tells how dumb Palin is...is the party that elected Pelosi as its speaker.
If you like Christie then it is telling. It basically means that you like killing 8 month old fetuses and "gay rights" more than any other issue including saving our country. Even Lincoln was practical enough to say if he could save the union with or without slavery he would do it. but in the minds of left wing extremist, gay marriage and the right to kill babies 10 minutes before they are born, is akin to slavery. Pathetic.
11:44 you are pathetic. The whole world does not revolve around abortion and gay marriage. These are topics for ladies' teas. Get out of the way and let responsible people run the country. We have REAL problems to solve. PS Your comment on Lincoln is historically wrong. Read about how the 13th Amendment came to be. If you know how.
Post a Comment