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The Early Vote Worm

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Last week was consequential for Greg Gianforte. Awfully.

The Republican businessman won the special election for Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He also body-slammed a reporter. He now faces misdemeanor assault charges.

For which Gianforte apologized publicly . . . as he was declaring victory. Welcome to modern American politics.

Democrats claimed victory, nonetheless — with media cover to boot. “Republicans’ 7-point win in last night’s Montana election is great news for Democrats,” the progressive Vox headlined their report.

At Townhall.com on Sunday, I explained why that claim misses both the forest and the trees. Yes, Trump won Montana by 20 percentage points against Hillary Clinton’s mere 35.4 percent back in November, while Gianforte won last week by only 7 points. But Trump was lucky to be opposed by a very unpopular Hillary.

Moreover, at that same election wherein Trump trounced Secretary Clinton, Gianforte lost the governor’s race to a Democrat. Indeed, Gianforte performed 11 points better last week than back in November — winning, instead of losing.

How does that show Republican support slipping?

The message from the Montana special election is that early voting periods are far too long. Montana’s early voting began nearly four weeks before Election Day. The assault by Gianforte, with criminal charges, hardly mattered, because roughly two-thirds of Montanans had already voted when it occurred.*

Rather than a nearly month-long process, whereby a candidate can bank a majority of the vote before the campaign is over, let’s make Election Day a three or five-day period. Make it easy to vote, but let’s all vote together, with the same information.  

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

 

* This means not only that Gianforte may have “gotten away” with his violent outburst, but that those voters did not have time to adequately appraise Gianforte on information they would have possessed and been able to act upon, with a shorter voting period.


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7 replies on “The Early Vote Worm”

…. let’s make Election Day a three or five-day period. Make it easy to vote, but let’s all vote together, with the same information ….

Great idea, ‘cept why five days — or even three. How’s about we make election day be election day?

When only those who make it to the poling place with an acceptable photo’ ID may vote?

…. Gianforte may have “gotten away” with his violent outburst, but that those voters did not have time to adequately appraise Gianforte ….

Again, very reasonable but seems Montanans were more inclined to vote for him, not less, after he defended himself against a foreign Marxist rag’s foreign Marxist’s agression.

Hopefully, he will “body slam” Democrats when he gets to Congress. I favor a single day of voting always on a Saturday with polls open from 6 AM to 10 PM. Vote with the same photo ID that is needed to board a plane, enter the Social Security office, rent a car, cash a check, open a bank account, visit a doctor, use a charge card, rent a USPS box, or attend a Hillary political rally.

It appears that the reporter was being overly aggressive. Being a reporter does  not give one the license to disrespect a subject if asked to back off or chooses to ignore and move on. I don’t think that this incident would have changed the outcome of the election under any circumstances. 

Agreed….about the single day and the required photo id.  (I’ve never been asked for one, yet.)
The other change I would make is to do away with same-day registration and motor voter.     Every time I moved, I went to my local district and registered to vote in person..   It’s not difficult.   If voting is that important to someone, they will make the time to register.   It takes less time than going to the doctor or the bank.    Odds are, the internet makes it easy for them to learn what they need before showing up to register.
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It appears that the reporter was being overly aggressive. Being a reporter does  not give one the license to disrespect a subject if asked to back off or chooses to ignore and move on. I don’t think that this incident would have changed the outcome of the election under any circumstances. 

Even a three-day period wouldn’t undo what was done to Gianforte.   That story came out a day before the election.   Unless you plan to shut down the press and all forms of communication for seventy-two hours, each day the situation will change.   Some people will vote before a story breaks, some after.    The longer the voting period, the more information later voters have.

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