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Should a Hurricane Postpone an Election?

Should a Hurricane Postpone an Election?

  • Yes

    Votes: 6 25.0%
  • No

    Votes: 18 75.0%

  • Total voters
    24

Cameron

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What if Sandy was due to pass through next week instead of this week? Would you be in favor of post-poning the election?
 
What if Sandy was due to pass through next week instead of this week? Would you be in favor of post-poning the election?

Is it possible to do this constitutionally speaking?
 
It would be counter to the democratic and equality ideals of this country if some states were prevented from voting because of a major weather event and others weren't.

Personally, I don't understand why we have a single election day. What if somebody is sick that day? You can't really plan for pneumonia and vote early to take care of it. Why don't we have a voting week to account for such problems?
 
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It would be counter to the democratic and equality ideals of this country if some states were prevented from voting because of a major weather event and others weren't.

Personally, I don't understand why we have a single election day. What if somebody is sick that day? You can't really plan for pneumonia and vote early to take care of it. Why don't we have a voting week to account for such problems?

Or an entire month. Really, what's the downside?
 
Personally, I don't understand why we have a single election day. What if somebody is sick that day? You can't really plan for pneumonia and vote early to take care of it. Why don't we have a voting week to account for such problems?

Agreed. In some states, early voting now starts in the beginning of October and goes all the way through Election Day. Early voting is now happening earlier, and more commonly. For example, in the swing states of Iowa and Colorado, over half the voters will have already cast their ballots prior to Election Day. I hope that becomes the standard operating procedure of all states in the upcoming years. It will reduce the likelihood that people won't be able to vote because of weather or personal issues.
 
What if Sandy was due to pass through next week instead of this week? Would you be in favor of post-poning the election?

Well, common sense tells me that the national election would go ahead as scheduled, those states effected would postpone their voting day to whenever, and if those states could impact the electoral voting, the winner would be announced after they'd had their election day.

But, then, common sense and politics often don't go together.
 
I think this thread is wrongly worded. It should be Will this one postpone the election? If a hurricane hits an area it WILL postpone it.
 
Or an entire month. Really, what's the downside?

You wouldn't want too long a stretch, because you wouldn't want to have people voting early miss out on information that could make a difference. I would say a week is a good length of time.
 
You wouldn't want too long a stretch, because you wouldn't want to have people voting early miss out on information that could make a difference. I would say a week is a good length of time.

People voting a month early probably wouldn't be the sort to change their minds in the first place.
 
I think the hurricane should wipe out Obama's and Romney's campaign. That way we could have a real Liberal and a real Conservative run. Instead of party jumping on the issues that turns into some statist bs.
 
Is it possible to do this constitutionally speaking?

Yes, the constitution doesn't define Tuesday in Novemeber as the day of election. The constitution doesn't give the right to even vote for electors, mind. Congress is given that power, but with the caveat that the day of selecting the president (when the EC votes)me uniform throughout the country. State legislations are responsible for senate and congressional elections, however Congress can make alterations to the laws. Not sure if election Tuesday is governed by statute or convention.
 
It would be counter to the democratic and equality ideals of this country if some states were prevented from voting because of a major weather event and others weren't.

Personally, I don't understand why we have a single election day. What if somebody is sick that day? You can't really plan for pneumonia and vote early to take care of it. Why don't we have a voting week to account for such problems?

With early voting there isn't an election day anymore, just the last day to vote.

NO, weather should NOT alter an election. There would be no end to that if ever allowed. Too hot. Too cold. Too wet. Too much snow. Etc etc. The chips and weather falls as it does.
 
With early voting there isn't an election day anymore, just the last day to vote.

NO, weather should NOT alter an election. There would be no end to that if ever allowed. Too hot. Too cold. Too wet. Too much snow. Etc etc. The chips and weather falls as it does.
As long as everybody who is eligible to vote, in this case it's a national election, then I think I would have to come down on this side of the options. There is no option that would please everybody, but this one I think is the most fair, albeit somewhat harshly fair.
 
With early voting there isn't an election day anymore, just the last day to vote.

NO, weather should NOT alter an election. There would be no end to that if ever allowed. Too hot. Too cold. Too wet. Too much snow. Etc etc. The chips and weather falls as it does.

Well weather has altered elections and what you described didn't happen.
 
What if Sandy was due to pass through next week instead of this week? Would you be in favor of post-poning the election?

We could do a scientific study on the days of the year in which natural disasters are least likely to occur and amend the Constitution to put election day on that day instead.

Which makes sense since the reason why the Founding Fathers made the current election day was because 90% of Americans were farmers and that day was a good one for just after the harvests but now most Americans are don't have jobs in which the weather and the seasons don't play such a role to their ability to vote.
 
It would be counter to the democratic and equality ideals of this country if some states were prevented from voting because of a major weather event and others weren't.

Personally, I don't understand why we have a single election day. What if somebody is sick that day? You can't really plan for pneumonia and vote early to take care of it. Why don't we have a voting week to account for such problems?

Exactly .... why not have a voting week or by mail choice.

Citizens are so busy and preoccupied it only seems right. Weather, illness, childbirth, deaths and illness in families, work schedules, school schedules ... the list goes on.

We have several weeks of voting in Oregon.
 
Because the United States Constitution doesn't call for an "election week"?
 
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