Your thoughts on Presidential campaigning

I would like to see elections completely revamped.
I would like to see primary election times limited to 2 months campaigning, followed by a single weekend of elections. Then another 2 months for the candidates who won their respect primaries to campaign against each other before the general election which is again held over a weekend.
All polls will have electronic voting machines, with several backup machines should one fail. No hanging chads, none of that stuff.
Registration can be done on the spot with a state issued Picture ID.
No exit poll results can be disclosed by the media until Monday morning.
No election results can be disclosed until 8 am Monday morning.

 

It costs money to get the message out. Think about how much Lexus spends in advertising just to sell a car. Millions of dollars. Presidential campaigns are more important and need a lot more "advertising" in my opinion.

Using a federal financing would just pave the way to corruption. Why would anybody listen to the "people" of the government is giving them all the money they need?

 

It is very telling that the Democrats are pushing for new laws taking all EFFORT and INITIATIVE out of the voting process.

"let me hold that cardboard sign for you sir, and if you go vote for my candidate, there will be a 6 pack of malt liquor waiting for you upon your return."

"dude, don't worry, just follow me over to the middle school, you don't have to register anymore! hey, you can't bring that bong with you."

"sir, I realize that you are just out walking your dog, and I don't care that you haven't read a newspaper in 10 years, but look what the Democrats are giving away to you this year!"

"ok, let's get organized people. Here are 1000 fake driver's licenses representing a 1000 dead people. Please don't take more than 4 each, and make sure you get started early since you have alot of work to do!"

 

I still don't see why this is an issue. As I stated in another thread a while back, elections are not a surprise. People know (or should know) where elections are going to take place. People know (or should know) that they need to register in order to vote. As far as I know you only have to register one time in your entire life unless your address changes. It is a simple process. I would much rather have a well informed voter than one who gets the urge due to some cute commerical the day before an election. If you don't care enough to get registered in time, the you shouldn't vote.

I am willing to change my mind on this issue if anyone can provide a compelling reason that would affect a number of people that we should have same day registration (not an end case scenario).

 

Hundreds of thousands of voters were unable to exercise their right to vote in the 2000 elections due to inefficient, incompetent or discriminatory voter registration systems and agencies.
Between 1.5 and 3 million votes were lost or not cast in 2000 because of problems with registration processes and voting lists. According to an August 2001 congressional report, eligible voters in at least 25 states arrived at the polls and were unable to vote because their names had been illegally purged from the voter rolls or not added in time for Election Day.

Minority voters were disproportionately excluded from the voting process in the 2000 elections.
According to recent national studies, many disenfranchised voters were African Americans and Latinos who registered at state agencies pursuant to the National Voter Registration Act (NRVA). In fact, the 2000 election produced a record number of complaints about the failure of new NRVA registrants to be added to voting rolls in time for Election Day, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Voter registration deadlines limit voter participation.
Thirty-seven states cut off registration opportunities 20 to 30 days before Election Day. Yet many voters do not take an interest in elections until a few weeks before Election Day, when political campaigns do most of their advertising and races inevitably tighten. Nearly two-thirds of respondents in a Gallup poll reported giving ¡°quite a lot¡± of thought to the 2000 presidential election by October 2, the point when most registration deadlines occur. These numbers climbed to 70 percent during the third week before the election, and by the week before Election Day three out of four voters were paying close attention.

Six states have enacted legislation allowing voters to register on Election Day.
Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming allow eligible citizens to register to vote and cast a ballot on Election Day. These states also allow voters whose names were improperly excluded from, or never added to, the rolls to correct the errors and vote on the same day.

States using Election Day registration have significantly higher voter turnout than the national average.
In 2000, when nationwide voter turnout totaled 59 percent, the six Election Day registration states had a combined turnout totaling 68 percent, and Maine boasted the highest voter turnout in the nation. Researchers estimate that eliminating voter registration deadlines and implementing Election Day registration would produce an average seven percent rise in voter turnout. In fact, according to a May 2001 poll, 64 percent of nonvoters said that Election Day registration would make them more likely to vote.

States using Election Day registration report few problems with fraud or administrative complexity.
Where Election Day registration is practiced, state officials report minimal problems with fraud and do not report greater administrative problems. Indeed, it can help address one of the most frustrating administrative problems exposed during the 2000 election: incomplete or inaccurate registration lists that result in people being barred from voting. In the states that use Election Day registration, the additional work of adding new voters has proven manageable. To accomodate the new procedures, election officials in these states educate registration clerks on how to make reasonable estimations of voter turnout, ensuring that polling places are adequately staffed.

States implementing Election Day registration do not face substantially higher costs.
The most obvious costs associated with Election Day registration relate to increasing the number of polling place workers and training them to handle new registrations on Election Day. But, as the 2000 elections demonstrated, most states need to pay for more staffing at the polls and better training for poll workers anyway.

Election Day registration ensures that all eligible citizens are able to exercise their right to vote.
The right to vote is the foundation of American democracy. Policymakers need to ensure that all who are entitled to vote are able to exercise their essential right.

heath: Are seriously that worried that if voter turnout goes up that the Republicans will be voted out?

 

Why single out the year 2000? Oh, I know why...