# George Will: Early/absentee voting lowers "quality of the electoral turnout" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 3, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323 "2008-10-03T14:38:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/41 "2008-10-06T01:07:54Z")
Missouri does not have early voting; absentee voting is predicated on being absent. So far, I have received nothing in the mail regarding state/county/district/city initiatives, and I expect I will have to work at finding that information. (I miss Colorado, where I was mailed a booklet with for/against arguments on every initiative. Even if it was full of shit, it let me know what I needed to research.) On the bright side, the polls in St. Louis County open at 6 am, and I am an early riser. On the not so bright side, I’m also an early to bed. Good luck for me staying up through the results. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/42 "2008-10-06T01:13:20Z")
> [@Atomicktom](#): > > Hmm, Mr. Will. It sounds like you are a doofus, and that there’s evidence to back it up. There is also evidence to back up the proposition that he is less than sincere about the sanctity of Election Day (i.e. the absence of any call to make it a federal holiday). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/43 "2008-10-06T01:14:51Z")
The first Tuesday after the first Monday was selected because it is impossible for that day to be either a Sunday (obviously) **or** the first of the month. Back in the day, inventories, balancing the books, and all that stuff took place on the first, and businesses couldn’t spare the people the time to vote. Now, the distinction is meaningless, but it used to matter quite a bit. Especially if you had to ride in from the farm to the county seat to vote. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/44 "2008-10-06T01:36:22Z")
Just to pile on: > [@puddleglum](#): > > What Will is saying is true. He is not talking about people who have to be away from the polling place voting, but people who are otherwise able to get to the polling stations but don’t out of lack of motivation. I know Will writes at a higher level than the average MSNBC viewer is used to, but his meaning seems pretty obvious. > His larger point is also unassailable. If someone is too lazy to drive to the polling place, they are unlikely to be motivated enough to research the issues and come to reasoned decisions about who to vote for. The poor quality of voters is reflected in the poor quality of candidate and government. That is why so many empty suits spouting platitudes about change and hope can be succesful. Piffle. It actually requires significantly more effort to vote by absentee ballot. To vote at the polls, I simply show up at a polling place and vote. To vote by absentee ballot, I have to procure the ballot in some fashion (varies by state–in Ohio, I have to write a letter or go out of the house to obtain a form from the library or go online to download a .pdf that I can print (if I have a printer) to send to the county Board of Elections, make photocopies of my driver’s license, utility bill, or government check that includes my name and current address, then find a stamp and get it mailed–then vote when (and if) the ballot shows up in my mailbox, then find a stamp or two, then get the ballot back to a mailbox. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/45 "2008-10-06T01:49:58Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Missouri does not have early voting; absentee voting is predicated on being absent. How does this work? I imagine that many people may not be able to know in advance where work may require them to be on election day. How do they know whether you are legitimately absent? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/46 "2008-10-06T01:58:19Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Recent editorial by George Will:](http://www.newsweek.com/id/161202/page/2) > > :dubious: Hey, George: > > 1. How about, people who have day jobs and cannot conveniently fit voting into a working day? Or people who are disabled or elderly and cannot easily get themselves to the polls? > > 2. What’s **quality** got to do with it? We don’t weight people’s votes based on their level of education, intelligence, sophistication, or interest in public affairs. We give everybody an equal vote because everybody, equally, has to live with whatever government decides. The neocons believe that they are special and above the masses. They believe they should run the country because of their higher values and a pipeline to god. They look at the rest with disdain. We should not be allowed to vote at all. That’s why they protest voters at the polling stations. Make rules to hold back registration ,fight a day off for all to vote and love touch screen voting. ---
**Author:** ![SayTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@SayTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SayTwo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/47 "2008-10-06T02:02:23Z")
I plan to mail it in AND to vote in person on Election Day. We’ll see if they can stop me. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/48 "2008-10-06T02:03:28Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > How does this work? I imagine that many people may not be able to know in advance where work may require them to be on election day. How do they know whether you are legitimately absent? They take your word for it, as far as I can tell. Knowing that I will not be absent on election day (barring my dad having a heart attack on Nov. 3rd), I would not feel morally correct in giving my word on that. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/49 "2008-10-06T02:04:43Z")
> [@SayTwo](#): > > I plan to mail it in AND to vote in person on Election Day. We’ll see if they can stop me. One would hope that they will put you in jail for it. Read the fine print. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/50 "2008-10-06T02:14:19Z")
When I see opinions such as George Will’s and then I see articles such as [this one](http://progressillinois.com/2008/10/04/lake-county-voter-supression) I have, for some odd reason, the hardest time thinking that “low value voter” isn’t just another code word for something considerably less polite. Of COURSE the Republicans want everybody to go to the polling places and use the [handy dandy touch screen election machines!](http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/9/165047/8669/395/592526) Because those worked SO well in Ohio and Florida the last two presidential elections. At least in Ohio the SoS isn’t allowing [sleepovers with the voting machines](http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/19/18404/5749/921/570643) this year. ---
**Author:** ![SayTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@SayTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SayTwo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/51 "2008-10-06T02:32:57Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > One would hope that they will put you in jail for it. > > Read the fine print. Does the fine print say I go to jail if I do? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/52 "2008-10-06T02:36:27Z")
> [@SayTwo](#): > > Does the fine print say I go to jail if I do? If you vote twice, in general, yes. When you sign your mail-in ballot in your state, what does the fine print state that you are agreeing to? I’ll be astonished if (among other things) it doesn’t state that this is the only time you’ll vote, and that if you do vote again it is a crime. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323/53 "2008-10-06T04:43:11Z")
The military, of course, votes by mail. Why does George Will hate the troops? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-will-early-absentee-voting-lowers-quality-of-the-electoral-turnout/466323.md?page=2)