Right to vote in the military

[MIDNJAC]

Yeah OR and WA have been mail in since I was active duty, and even before. This isn't hard stuff. I think the kids use the term "smooth brains" now. That describes the folks who are hard up about voting in person. I did that with my grandma in the 1980's at a church. It wasn't exactly the pinnacle of real ID.

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

Whether the preference to vote in your State is for in-person, mail-in, or a combination, that should have no bearing on what the preference is in another State. Each State will enact legislation appropriate for that State.

If your State has been in-person for decades, and the Governor decides mail-in ballots will be sent to ALL registered voters, without any legislative review, and contrary to the State's constitution, then we have a problem. Again, that is a problem that impacts only that State. no other State.

We do not need voting process (in-person, mail-in, or a combination) to be nationally specified, but verification of one's right to vote, that is at least worth the discussion.

 

[Swanee]

FWIW, WA State votes 100% by mail, and maintaining my registration has been very easy. I get an email when my ballot is ready, and I download it to fill out at home, then send it in. The state’s voting website tells you the status of your ballot. Couldn’t be more pleased with this system.

Mail-in voting in FL is similar.

Any time I've had an issue with anything mail-in (car registrations, driver's license renewals, voting), the folks in the office in Milton for Santa Rosa County have always been really helpful. I'm sure they deal with this stuff constantly, but it's nice to have someone walk you through exactly what to do, what to send in, and what to fill out and how (voting joke here). They're public servants who are good at serving their public.

 

[Spekkio]

Yeah OR and WA have been mail in since I was active duty, and even before. This isn't hard stuff. I think the kids use the term "smooth brains" now. That describes the folks who are hard up about voting in person. I did that with my grandma in the 1980's at a church. It wasn't exactly the pinnacle of real ID.

I think that it's a travesty that we're 25 years into the 21st century and we haven't figured out how to do secure online voting. We'd rather trust a bunch of retired people volunteering their time to manually count ballots and then call elections weeks before the counting is actually complete, because that system never results in accidentally electing the wrong president *cough* Bush *cough*.

If we can protect over $2.5 trillion in the social security trust fund we can do secure online voting.

 

[sevenhelmet]

I think that it's a travesty that we're 25 years into the 21st century and we haven't figured out how to do secure online voting. We'd rather trust a bunch of retired people volunteering their time to manually count ballots and then call elections weeks before the counting is actually complete, because that system never results in accidentally electing the wrong president *cough* Bush *cough*.

If we can protect over $2.5 trillion in the social security trust fund we can do secure online voting.

I'm convinced it's not because we can't figure it out, it's because people have been deliberately incentivized not to.

Totally agree, that needs to change.

 

[Swanee]

I think that it's a travesty that we're 25 years into the 21st century and we haven't figured out how to do secure online voting. We'd rather trust a bunch of retired people volunteering their time to manually count ballots and then call elections weeks before the counting is actually complete, because that system never results in accidentally electing the wrong president *cough* Bush *cough*.

If we can protect over $2.5 trillion in the social security trust fund we can do secure online voting.

You'd need a state with sufficient funding to develop and implement it. I don't know if anyone would really trust any privatization or contract company to make it happen. Money is already way too deep in politics, there is no way we will trust google or bezos or elon or gates or... to keep our votes safe and authentic.

And then there would be Mississippi, Arkansas, and West Virginia.

 

[Flash]

Speaking of voting while in the military, military voters in NC who voted via absentee/mail-in ballots have to provide copies of photo identification or ID exception forms for their ballots to be counted in the NC Supreme Court justice election.

 

[wink]

My right to vote was removed by Real ID. I couldn't get back to my state of residency to convert my license, and when I got a license from a different state I lost the right to vote there. I will not officially change my state of residency because it's not worth an additional $8,000 per year in taxes to vote... and besides, the districts are entrenched in a political party. I actually had a professor who did the mathematical game theory analysis and I have less than a 1 in 1 trillion chance of impacting an election with my vote.

If you're curious, you can have a much better chance of having an impact if you are a Rhode Island resident for federal elections from a raw voting power numbers standpoint. If we take into account the state's voting habits and that Rhode Island is heavily "blue", then you have to vote in a 'purple' state. Then your voting power goes from 1 in more than a trillion to 1 in the millions.

A lesson in second / third order effects.

You cant use your passport as ID/ proof of citizenship to vote ?

 

[Brett327]

but verification of one's right to vote, that is at least worth the discussion.

Isn’t that also up to the state?

 

[Brett327]

I think that it's a travesty that we're 25 years into the 21st century and we haven't figured out how to do secure online voting.

I just read a FB thread about how a National Park in WA is going cashless, and the public is apoplectic about being forced to use debit cards that the government will surely use to track them and their spending habits. No mention of the devices they’re all carrying in their pockets that actually do track them. 🙄 These people are undeterred by logic or facts. These people will strap on a suicide vest and blow up their polling place before being forced to vote online.

 

[wink]

Isn’t that also up to the state?

Yes it is. The state/ county run electoral process, for all it's inefficiencies and patchwork of rules and procedures is what makes it so hard to "steal" a federal election. Nationalizing voting systems, laws and procedures means you only have to cheat one process or system with winner take all.

 

[insanebikerboy]

My right to vote was removed by Real ID. I couldn't get back to my state of residency to convert my license, and when I got a license from a different state I lost the right to vote there. I will not officially change my state of residency because it's not worth an additional $8,000 per year in taxes to vote...

I may be misunderstanding the law, but I thought changing your drivers license to a different state was one of the most foolproof/certain methods of establishing residency somewhere? The mere act itself was method of telling the new state that you are choosing to be a resident there?

If I did that here in California, I have no doubt they would immediately be after me for state income tax.

 

[SteveHolt!!!]

I think that it's a travesty that we're 25 years into the 21st century and we haven't figured out how to do secure online voting. We'd rather trust a bunch of retired people volunteering their time to manually count ballots and then call elections weeks before the counting is actually complete, because that system never results in accidentally electing the wrong president *cough* Bush *cough*.

If we can protect over $2.5 trillion in the social security trust fund we can do secure online voting.

I've voted multiple times online for the state of NV. Only certain types of absentee such as military are eligible. It's pretty amazing. I've even had some issues with my registration (as I imagine a lot of military that have moved have experienced) and they have a process for submitting a provisional ballot and registration verification online.

It's not that we haven't figured out how to do it. It's that for a variety of reasons we haven't wanted to do it.

 

[Brett327]

Yes it is. The state/ county run electoral process, for all its inefficiencies and patchwork of rules and procedures is what makes it so hard to "steal" a federal election. Nationalizing voting systems, laws and procedures means you only have to cheat one process or system with winner take all.

Yes… It was a rhetorical question.

 

[Spekkio]

I may be misunderstanding the law, but I thought changing your drivers license to a different state was one of the most foolproof/certain methods of establishing residency somewhere? The mere act itself was method of telling the new state that you are choosing to be a resident there?

If I did that here in California, I have no doubt they would immediately be after me for state income tax.

No. The SCRA covers residency and military servicemembers can choose to switch residency after taking actions to establish residency in another state (which includes, but is not limited to obtaining a license), but are by no means required to do so. Your income on your LES gets reported only to the state which is listed.

However, establishing residency is a requirement to vote in said state. While it's easy to say "my license was expiring and I renewed in another state," I do not desire to op-test registering to vote in a state yet claiming that I am a resident of a different state for income tax purposes. 99% sure it would be fine due to the way the military reports income, but I'm not going to go there.

The issue I've seen with CA is actually people who buy property occasionally get a 'hey, you owe a CA state income tax return' notice, and have to spend the time to write a "per the SCRA, get fucked" letter.