As CTVotersCount readers know, we are concerned with the integrity issues associated with early voting and vote-by-mail including no excuse absentee voting. We are also concerned with the costs of early voting.
Now we have a candidate’s view from FL, where early voting has changed the campaign calendar, increased cost, and perhaps reduced voter knowledge along with costing some voters their votes: <read>
Instead of campaigns intensifying as Election Day nears, candidates have geared up to reach thousands of people voting well in advance of the polls opening. Ballots started hitting the mail on Sept. 18, and more than 57,600 have been sent.
Already, more than 5,980 people have voted by mail in the general election.
“It feels like we’re in the middle of Election Day each day,” said Kathleen Ford, who is running for mayor against Bill Foster…
It doesn’t just affect strategy. It affects the bottom line of campaigns. Being able to effectively reach mail voters makes the campaign more expensive, Ford and Foster said…
Some civic groups have yet to endorse candidates. Community forums and debates are still on tap.
Danner said he somewhat questions the early start to voting, particularly as someone who was out of the public eye without a primary race.
But returning mail ballots later doesn’t necessarily mean better voting.
Of the 701 ballots that arrived too late to be counted in the Sept. 1 primary, 70 percent came from people who received them within four weeks of the election, Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark said.
The ballots take the place of early voting sites, because the city and Clark decided it would be less costly.
Some of our earlier posts:
<Absentee Ballots Unaudited In CT>
<Is Early Voting A Good Idea For CT?>
<CT Could Be Minnesota>
More at <NoVoteByMail>
