I would like, one day, to see a voter tally saying that %100 of the eligible voters did so… or at least something like %75, or better. In 2010 we had a figure of %41 who voted in the Statewide elections.
That was rather depressing..
With the economy still in the dumps many local governments are trying to save money, to offset reduced revenue, and so Sarasota Country Supervisor of Election, Kathy Dent, is planning to shut down some of the polling places. She says this will save the county something like $100,000 per election. The ACLU and NAACP have said that this will disenfranchise some voters who will now have to travel a greater distance to vote, maybe up to 2 miles?
The legislature has passed new requirements for voting… cutting down on the number of early voting days, picture IDs, and a requirement that those groups who do voter registrations, volunteer groups who take an interest in getting the voter to do just that, would have a shorter window to turn in the names they gather.
Mrs. Dent suggested that those who would have to travel that 2 miles, and don’t have a car, might want to use a mail-in vote, unless of course that walk to the mailbox is too far. There used to be a time when the only people who used the mail-in ballots were shut ins, or people who would not be in the area at the time of the vote, such as people on vacation, military stationed out of state, or people who had real reasons for not being able to go to the polls.
So, I will ask again, “how important is your vote”?
Its not like you have to dodge bullets, like they do in some countries. It all depends on how “IMPORTANT” your vote is, and looking at the 2010 elections I would think that %59 of the people thought that their vote was just too inconvenient.
That Joe Guy 
Well, this society at this time is glued to the home — or at least it appears that way. I myself will have to walk an incredible 1/4 of a mile to get to my polling place at the Pittsburg Pirates Bradenton training camp! Heaven forbid! (That was a facetious remark…) I used to only walk 800 feet, but then they closed some places and incorporated them into others so as to save money. Seems that the Dems and Repubs used to send out cars and buses to those without an easy way to get to the polls. And, once again, you had to sign up in advance. Or, as suggested in the original blog, you could just drop your vote in the snail-mailbox and be done with ANY traveling! Goodness knows voting today is MUCH easier than a couple decades ago, but then folks today seem to want to make things come to them instead of the other way ’round!
When I was growing up, this was called “laziness”. I know — that term is now politically incorrect… BUT, it IS cilvily CORRECT!
For those who feel that their vote won’t count for much, just look at some of the more recent elections at the National level. Some have come within a few hundred (out of MILLIONS) votes of getting elected. If it is too much trouble to vote, then I would suggest to those people, that since they have neighbors who have “children” overseas, and who are fighting to the death for this right — COMPLAIN TO THOSE WHO HAVE LOST A SON OR DAUGHTER FOR YOUR RIGHTS! And then DUCK!
And I will go so far as to say that if you DO NOT vote, then you are equally responsible for the idiots that get into office and make your life even MORE difficult than it was before!!! Just take a hard look at what THIS Congress has NOT done… Deprive them of their so-called office and maybe things change for the good. At least you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you did your best to effect the vote. Unless, of course, you just don’t give a flying s***.
Than I would suggest that there is a goodly choice of tranport out of this country to a place where you won’t have to worry about voting — EVER!!!
As a Great American once said while espousing the truth over the airways: Good Night and Good Luck!
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