[EM] Making a Bad Thing Worse

[Jonathan Lundell]

On Oct 17, 2008, at 6:56 PM, Greg Nisbet wrote:

> I think you need to prove you have some 'valid reason' to vote  
> early. Anyway, I know there are some restrictions that make it  
> inconvenient otherwise who would show up at the polls?

Depends on the state. In California, you just have to ask, and many  
county registrars encourage you to ask. You can ask for a single  
election, or become a permanent absentee voter.

Oregon is exclusively vote-by-mail, as is my precinct in California.

Since mail-in ballots must be received by election day (postmarks  
don't count), it's inherently an early-voting system. In California,  
ballots are mailed out about 30 days before the election, which makes  
life difficult for candidates. Oregon says 14-18 days, which seems  
more than adequate.