This is silly. Why inconvenience the voters when a news blackout until ALL the
polls are closed will do the trick? The overzealousness of the press does not
trump the people's right to vote.
Personally I have no respect for anyone who lets some talking heads decide for
them whether or not they will vote. The East coast doesn't decide the West
coast Congresspersons. And there are local elections and initiatives to be
decided. But if we're going to make changes, make them to inconvenience the
folks who created the problem: the networks.
dennis roberts wrote:
> this is the perennial issue in national elections about ... if it looks
> like the election is sewn up from the east and south ... then what is to
> motivate those in the napa valley to leave their vinyards and head for the
> polls? i do think there are some data that roughly show that voter turnout
> is less out west ... compared to the east ... but, the difference is also
> confounded by many other factors
>
> i don't see much of a statistical issue embedded within this problem ...
> this is mainly political and legal ... the only way to essentially reduce
> that is to stagger the opening/closing times in the different time zones
> such that everyone is voting at the same time all over the country ...
>
> but how we gonna due that? what about a national MAIL vote all sent to the
> IRS for count ... all due by X day ... and ONLY counted the next day?
>
> there really is nothing we can seriously do about exit polling ... though
> some have suggested that exit pollers NOT be able to get any closer than Y
> yards to the front door of the polling place ... they would just go Y +5
> and still do the stuff
>
> the only practical way to avoid (for the most part) the main problem here
> is to hakv the time of voting essentially simultaneous ...
>
> but let's don't hold our breath for that to happen!
>
> At 10:55 PM 1/5/01 +0000, J. Williams wrote:
> >On Fri, 05 Jan 2001 16:56:03 -0500, Rich Ulrich <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >wrote:
> >
> >
> >>What is your corollary issue? I don't see that you name one ... I
> >
> >It is simple. If your state was divided into two time zones and it
> >was announced the election for all intents and purposes was "over,"
> >would you stand in line to vote? In particular, if you were a first
> >time voter? Would you go out in the snow or rain to vote if it was
> >announced by CNN the election was decided by, let's say,
> >Philadelphia--- before you could cast a vote?
> ==============================================================
> dennis roberts, penn state university
> educational psychology, 8148632401
> http://roberts.ed.psu.edu/users/droberts/drober~1.htm
>
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--
Gore won Florida, even if you disregard 90% of the uncounted votes:
http://www.herald.com/content/archive/news/elect2000/decision/104268.htm
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