# Will Obama and the democrats do anything to make voting easier **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 21, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633 "2015-03-21T23:33:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/21 "2015-03-23T04:33:06Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Voting-by-mail would do it. That’s how it’s done in Oregon. It makes turnout better. It doesn’t actually make it good enough, as Democrats found out in Colorado. ---
**Author:** ![Osiris\_the\_1st](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9de0a6/32.png) [@Osiris\_the\_1st](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osiris_the_1st)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/22 "2015-03-23T14:48:47Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I don’t think Internet voting could ever be done on a widespread scale. There would be endless accusations of hacking, glitches, bugs, votes counting numerous times or not at all, password theft, accusations of people registering for multiple accounts under dead people’s names, etc. It would be an electoral nightmare. Like with the easily hacked electronic voting machines provided by a company owned by a big GOP contibutor that were used in the 2004 elections? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/23 "2015-03-23T14:59:25Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > To be fair, PA is only on the second list because people fought the law and the PA supreme court overturned it. There was such a law passed. But, while PA tends to go blue in Presidential races due to the densely populated Philly area, the state government isn’t so certain and was Republican controlled at the time the bill was passed. > > So PA does support your argument, just not in the way you think. PA suffers from the heavy gerrymandering problem that afflicts so many states - and in PA it favors the Republicans who are disproportionately represented in Congress and the state legislature compared to the voting patterns for the state. If the Democrats could get a majority in 2020 even a reasonably objective redistricting would benefit them significantly. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/24 "2015-03-23T15:21:35Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > thus far, no one has been able to make a good showing for the GOP side of this issue. Everyone, by default, considers their opponent’s argument to be bad. I can’t think of the last time someone considered an opposing argument to be “good.” ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/25 "2015-03-23T15:33:28Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > PA suffers from the heavy gerrymandering problem that afflicts so many states - and in PA it favors the Republicans who are disproportionately represented in Congress and the state legislature compared to the voting patterns for the state. If the Democrats could get a majority in 2020 even a reasonably objective redistricting would benefit them significantly. True. We did manage to kick out Republican governor Corbett and replace him with Democrat Tom Wolf, but that was largely due to the Penn State scandal and the fact that Corbett, as Attorney General, dragged his feet on investigating Sandusky. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/26 "2015-03-23T17:28:20Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > For all elections, yes, but Congress can make a law for congressional elections and hope the states decided to follow it for everything rather than split their election system. (That’s why you can register to vote at the DMV. Mississippi split its elections for a few years, so that you were only able to receive a ballot for members of Congress and presidential electors if you registered at the DMV, but eventually that was too much work even in Mississippi and the motor voter roll was merged into the general voter roll.) The Congress we have now has no interest in making voting easier. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/27 "2015-03-23T17:42:20Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > The Congress we have now has no interest in making voting easier. The only answer I can see is to put people in charge who do want to make it easier. What that means is voter registration and “get out the vote” drives. A big problem in this country is that people who are already registered, or could easily be registered, don’t vote, and when they do, they only vote in Presidential elections. If we can remedy that, making it easier may become less urgent (but should still be a goal). ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/28 "2015-03-23T22:01:35Z")
Voting isn’t hard. Except for the example that elucidator gave, of long lines in poorer areas, voting difficulty is not a problem that needs to be solved. Motivation is the issue. I get the impression that none of you have ever known an unmotivated individual. Get one as a roommate and tell him that his only job is to take out the trash. When he doesn’t do that, bag it up for him and leave it by the door so all he has to do is take it out. Watch what happens(or doesn’t), and then you’ll see why people don’t vote. And garbage is a lot more inspiring than some of these candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/29 "2015-03-23T22:14:44Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Everyone, by default, considers their opponent’s argument to be bad. I can’t think of the last time someone considered an opposing argument to be “good.” I at least expect anyone’s arguments to make sense. In this case, there is no justification put forth that makes Voter ID worthwhile. The justifications for it (integrity of the ballot box, etc.) don’t hold water. Make a good argument and, while I may still disagree, I can agree that you have a point. I have yet to see any argument for Voter ID that passes that threshold. Your opinion may differ. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/30 "2015-03-23T22:30:16Z")
Never mind… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/31 "2015-03-23T22:50:55Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Voting isn’t hard. Except for the example that elucidator gave, of long lines in poorer areas, voting difficulty is not a problem that needs to be solved… (Post shortened and ellipses are too hard) Well. gee, Uncle **Addy** , how come it doesn’t “need to be solved”? Voter fraud is virtually non-existent, but that needed to be solved? But equal access to voting\* isn’t\* a problem that needs to be solved? Perhaps I am but a boor of little brain, but that reasoning eludes me. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/32 "2015-03-23T22:53:14Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Voting isn’t hard. Except for the example that elucidator gave, of long lines in poorer areas, voting difficulty is not a problem that needs to be solved. Motivation is the issue. I get the impression that none of you have ever known an unmotivated individual. Get one as a roommate and tell him that his only job is to take out the trash. When he doesn’t do that, bag it up for him and leave it by the door so all he has to do is take it out. Watch what happens(or doesn’t), and then you’ll see why people don’t vote. And garbage is a lot more inspiring than some of these candidates. Yes, **adaher** , we’re not familiar with what the word “unmotivated” means. The fact the you do know and are able to describe it to us means that you win the argument and we’ll all hang our heads and go home. :rolleyes: In any case, are you dismissing **elucidator’s** example as unimportant? Why? Because poor people’s votes don’t matter as much? I keep hearing the motivation argument from the right. It’s probably a talking point that came from some right-wing think tank at some point, because it’s a very good convincing (if you don’t think about it much) rhetorical tactic that totally misses the point. The point being this: Due to their different circumstances, different people require dramatically different levels of motivation to get to the polls. Example: I work a regular 40 hour work week with my start and end times being somewhat flexible, plus I can work from home instead of going to the office pretty much any day I choose, and I live right across the street from my polling place! So it takes very little motivation for me to get my ass across the street at some point during the day and vote, even if the lines are long (and they’re never prohibitively long). On the other hand, take someone who works two jobs with very unforgiving bosses and lives in an area without enough polling places and not enough machines and therefore face long lines. They have to be so motivated that they’re willing to risk one or maybe even both jobs in order to vote. So you have two people who face two completely different levels of motivation needed to vote. I have the opportunity practically handed to me on a silver platter, but this other person has to risk their paycheck. But hey, if they aren’t willing to risk their job, they’re just to damn lazy! Sorry, the motivation talking point doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/33 "2015-03-23T23:04:26Z")
Wouldn’t be that hard to fix. Have to take place at the state level, at least, though federal enforcement would be appropriate. But not too hard to count noses and ensure a rough equality of voting opportunity across economic divides. Does anyone wonder who might oppose such a thing? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/34 "2015-03-23T23:13:57Z")
Hmm… Who might oppose such a thing… Who might oppose such a thing… Given that, overall, the people facing the greatest obstacles tend to vote in opposition to those facing the least obstacles… Nope, I can’t figure it out. People are just lazy and unmotivated. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/35 "2015-03-24T03:04:49Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > On the other hand, take someone who works two jobs with very unforgiving bosses and lives in an area without enough polling places and not enough machines and therefore face long lines. They have to be so motivated that they’re willing to risk one or maybe even both jobs in order to vote. Approximately 30 states already have laws that require employers to allow time off for voting. Hardly anyone is risking losing their jobs over voting. :rolleyes: [http://www.findlaw.com/voting-rights-law.html](http://www.findlaw.com/voting-rights-law.html) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/36 "2015-03-24T03:15:58Z")
Taking your numbers for gospel, that’s 60%. Leaving 40%. Which equals “hardly anyone”? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/37 "2015-03-24T03:31:57Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Taking your numbers for gospel, that’s 60%. Leaving 40%. Which equals “hardly anyone”? Do you have any evidence, whatsoever, that people are losing their (multiple) jobs for taking time off to vote? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/38 "2015-03-24T05:07:04Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Do you have any evidence, whatsoever, that people are losing their (multiple) jobs for taking time off to vote? No, because very few people would do something so stupid. I think voting is important. I am _highly_ motivated to vote. But if it meant losing my job, then I wouldn’t vote. The point isn’t that people are losing jobs. The point is that they’re not voting because taking the time to do so would risk losing their jobs. They’re being put in a situation where the only rational choice is to not vote. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/39 "2015-03-24T10:34:26Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > No, because very few people would do something so stupid. > > I think voting is important. > I am _highly_ motivated to vote. > But if it meant losing my job, then I wouldn’t vote. > > The point isn’t that people are losing jobs. The point is that they’re not voting because taking the time to do so would risk losing their jobs. They’re being put in a situation where the only rational choice is to not vote. They’re also often in jobs paying hourly wages, so even if they can take an hour or two off to vote without issue, that’s money out of their pocket they can likely ill afford. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633/40 "2015-03-24T16:11:06Z")
Many of the states that require employers to give time off to vote also require that the time be paid. So all the voter has to do is stand up and plant his feet firmly and tell the Boss in no uncertain terms what’s what! Perhaps a bit of index finger prodding would also be appropriate! After all, he’s only your Boss, not like he has power over you, or anything! And! you can _sue_, it’s the law! OK, maybe you can’t afford the $15/hr lawyers get, but your union probably can. If you live in one of those socialist states that permit union thugs to stifle entrepreneurial spirit and run roughshod over the Constitution! Don’t have the courage? Keep thinking about those snot-sleeved, scabby-kneed rug rats that follow you around begging for food and money? Well, then you are boned, aren’t you? Serves you right, chickenshit! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-obama-and-the-democrats-do-anything-to-make-voting-easier/715633.md?page=3)