In this thread we discuss being an absentee voter
 

I have never actually voted at a poll since I'm in college and always absentee vote. It's a good time, but I can't wait until next year when I'll be back in Ohio and able to vote at a real polling place!

I haven't changed my permanent address yet, and therefore my polling place hasn't changed either. I wanted to get an absentee ballot but I still live in the same county as my hometown so I have to go back there to vote. I mean, it's not even an hour long drive, but it's still a pain in the butt.

I would have had to drive two hours home to vote so I just absenteed it so I wouldn't have to miss my important Law & Regulation class.

I've never voted at a real polling place (although admittedly I've only been eligible to vote for a little over two years). My ballot gets mailed to my parents' house and then they mail it or bring it up to me. So I still vote in my hometown local elections.

There's something nice and relaxed about voting in your own living room. Mrs. DA and I generally chat about candidates and issues and then each decides which way to vote. We generally agree for the most part.

There is none of the confusion of hardly or poorly trained poll workers -- although I commend them for giving their time -- and no worry about holding up the line behind you, time wise.

Having voted in polling places for many years, I find absentee a very nice way of casting my ballott.

I voted in person in 2000 (Rhode Island!) but decided in 2001 to change my registration to Florida. I'm not affiliated with a party, so I don't really get to vote in the primaries.

But, I have to say it's niiiiiice.

I love voting absentee. I didn't have to deal with the long lines and cranky people and it was DELIGHTFUL.

For the first six years that I was eligible to vote, I voted by absentee ballot. I miss it... I miss being able to complete my ballot in the peace and quiet of my own home, mail it in, and have no worries on Election Day. I'd vote absentee if my state allowed no-excuse absentee voting.

In both '00 and '04 I've absentee voted. In '00 I was in PA for college and registered in Fla after moving there from NY. Now this year I'm in NYC and forgot to change my registration. Kinda sad that I have NEVER seen the inside of a voting booth!

A lot of my sisters were talking last Sunday about how in the state of Virginia, absentee ballots do NOT count unless there is a tie. Has anyone else ever heard of something like this in their state? Luckily my college is 30 minutes from where I live, but lots of girls drove home hours today to make sure their vote would count.

I go to school in CT, but I'm from NY. I've heard that from New Yorkers, and Mass people. I think some asshole is just trying to start another dumbass rumor to scare people away from voting. I'm not going to buy into it. I'm more concerned about people in the post office "losing" my ballot more than anything. Oh well. Bush won anyway. Might as well have thrown that vote in the toilet.

They were very clear about that during the 2000 election. Absentee ballots are only counted if they can make a difference in the result.

Then why do we matter? The college vote really doesn't make a difference? Arrgh! This is way too confusing...:confused:

It makes a difference if the race is close. But, this same reasoning is why we can say Ohio went Bush, because it became statistically impossible for Kerry to take Ohio with the number of provisional ballots to count and the lead that Bush had over Kerry. If a candidate has won a state by 200,000 votes and there are 5000 absentee ballots, then it is statistically impossible for the absentee ballots to make a difference. If a candidate was only ahead by 500 votes, then it could make a HUGE difference.

It's like when you play euchre, and the other team has already gotten their two points, you just throw in the hand...

Dee