# Should the US use the purple finger voting method?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-use-the-purple-finger-voting-method/337723>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 30, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-use-the-purple-finger-voting-method/337723 "2005-12-30T15:20:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-use-the-purple-finger-voting-method/337723/21 "2005-12-31T05:52:09Z")

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Forget the purple dye. We need a choice of red or blue dye. Exit polling would just be a matter of counting the thumbs as they leave the polls. A coin flip on the morning of the election determines which side gets glitter in their dye. Some people will switch parties to get the glitter, rendering pre-election polls meaningless.

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**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-use-the-purple-finger-voting-method/337723/22 "2005-12-31T22:29:12Z")

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> [@initech](#):
>
> Forget the purple dye. We need a choice of red or blue dye. Exit polling would just be a matter of counting the thumbs as they leave the polls. A coin flip on the morning of the election determines which side gets glitter in their dye. Some people will switch parties to get the glitter, rendering pre-election polls meaningless.

A federal investigation over a coin, to see whether it was flipped properly, etc., etc., etc. No thanks.

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**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-use-the-purple-finger-voting-method/337723/23 "2006-01-01T18:09:18Z")

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> [@kanicbird](#):
>
> Did I mention paying someone, did I say a 1099 contractor or a w2 employee? No I did not. I said different rates people must pay for goods and services depening on if they voted.

And that would be against the law. You can not give a ‘voter’ discount. I used to own and operate a movie theatre. I thought about giving a free soda to anyone that voted. Turned out, it was against the law.

And although you don’t think that it would be a problem, I’m sure there is some situation where a person who voted, doesn’t want to advertise the fact.

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