i know that politics is a no-no here

[mbossman2]

but this lady's (http://www.wciv.com/news/stories/1008/561510.html) vote and support aside, everyone who feels like they don't have enough time to vote should reflect upon her, she toughed it out to cast her vote one more time.

[HAL9000]

So how long before somebody questions it as a legal vote... she's dead... was it received before her death?... or whatever other reasons somebody can come up with.

[mbossman2]

that'd get your butt kicked in the court of public opinion

[glc]

It all depends how the law is interpreted.

Then again, dead people have been voting in Chicago for many many years...............

[Force Flow]

As long as a vote was recorded before a death, I'd say it's legal. Though like g says...some of these votes have been cast *after* the funeral...

[TimPoet]

I say vote early and often! :D

[glc]

Yeah, but when is the vote actually recorded? If it's not till Election Day, there may be a valid challenge.

[HAL9000]

That's my point.. is it legal at the time it is signed? Time that it is postmarked? Time that it is received? Time that it is processed? Time of election? is it dependant on state law? Federal law? Does one law supercede the other?

[glc]

I foresee job security for some lawyers..........

[David M]

I dont think a vote can "die". Once cast, thats it. Its a valid vote and should count. That was her choice for President, even though she is no longer with us.

What if someone dies in a car wreck on the way home from the polling place on the day of the election before the polling place closes? Do we count their vote? Of course. I'm sure this has happened in fact. Was it an issue then? No.

In fact it would be impossible to make it an issue because we would have to figure out how they voted in order to cancel out their vote, when voting is supposed to be private.

Given it would be impossible to cancel out a dead persons vote, it should not become a consideration in the first place. If something cannot be changed then why consider turning it into a problem?

[HAL9000]

Ok, but using your own example, if they died on the way TO the polling station with intent to vote for a certain person, why would that intent not count.

In this scenario, we are talking about advance polling... is it official at that time? Is it official just because it is in the mail? Is it official at the time of signing it? I assume it must be witnessed.. is it official when they signed then died and at the same time witnessed? At what point is it an official ballot?... citome on now.. it took me 2 seconds to think of this and the US is well known for being a nation of ridiculous law suits... are you telling me that nobody else has thought of it as well?

This reminds me of a physics prof I had that mathematically showed us that if you have the intent to push a glass off of a table, it is already falling.... I still haven't figured that out.

[tomster2300]

Your intent wouldn't matter if you died on your way to the polling station. You would be dead and would never have had the chance to make your opinions count. That's why people say "If you don't vote, don't complain".

While the vote was cast on an official absentee ballot, many ballots are thrown out each election due to inconsistencies at polling stations - these votes never count.

So, I would say it is only official when they're counted and accepted on election day. On a side note, I'm kind of wary of voter fraud with this advanced voting program. I see too much time available for tampering not to have happened.

[TwoRails]

Dead men don't write checks. If I write a check today, and die tomorrow, that check is still good. If someone writes a check today, but dates it in the future, and they die, then that check is no good (unless it falls thru the cracks). So, I think voting is the same: if the ballot is signed before they die, it's good, but if they dated it, say, election day, then it's no good (unless, again, it falls thru the cracks). I don't think "they" check who's dead or alive after election day... Heck, they don't even have enough people to count the things in a timely matter let alone checking everyone's life status.

[Force Flow]

On a side note, I'm kind of wary of voter fraud with this advanced voting program. I see too much time available for tampering not to have happened.

Voter fraud has been happening regardless of medium.

[tomster2300]

Voter fraud has been happening regardless of medium.

Definitely agreed, but I feel the more time you allow for it to happen, the easier it becomes.

[David M]

Ok, but using your own example, if they died on the way TO the polling station with intent to vote for a certain person, why would that intent not count.



Because they never voted.