Early voting begins in Tennessee Oct. 17. When does it begin in your state?

[Tennessee Gal]

Be sure you are registered correctly. I had moved since the last election and went to change my address this week.

I am good to go!

[Freddie]

1. No early voting at all here in PA

The state that loves voter suppression. We never had early voting. 7a to 8p Tuesday and that's it. No question lots of people can't vote due to their work schedule or long commute. Factor in a presidential year with long lines and waiting.
I work too early to vote before work and I watch my granddaughter after work so I'll take her with me to the church where we vote. She's only 2 but not too young for a civics lesson.

[Tennessee Gal]

2. I did not know that. Have they ever tried to get that changed? nt

[Freddie]

5. Not that I know of

Been voting since Carter in 1976 and we've never had early voting and I don't think it's ever been seriously considered here. I will talk to the local party organization about trying to start something. Sadly it's true what they say about PA, "between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, it's Alabama."

[trof]

3. Ya kiddin' me? I live in Ala-RED-bama.

Those in power would much prefer that we not vote at all, let alone early.
Our absentee voting procedure is the most complicated in the nation.

[valerief]

4. Only one-day voting in Mass. nt

[Tennessee Gal]

6. Well, I am learning a lot. Here is a great map and chart.

32 states allow early voting.


Link: http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/absentee-and-early-voting.aspx

[Blue Yorker]

7. in NY I have no idea

Doesn't matter much here, since Obama is a lock.

[Tennessee Gal]

13. Oh, it matters. Every vote matters.

Mine will be for Obama here in full blown red state Tennessee and I will cast it proudly.

Obama has no chance of winning Tennessee, but he will still get my vote.

[Fawke Em]

16. I'll be joining you in that blue column in our orange state.

Go Vols!

[Go Vols]

17. +1

[NashvilleLefty]

18. Hi, TN girl! We've got some work to do.

TN is actually a purple state, but State Republicans have worked hard to make it a red state. We used to have a Democratically-controlled legislature, and DU's own Fly-By-Night was instrumental in convincing them of the problems of Black Box Voting. As a result, we managed to create a new law supporting paper ballots.

However, since the BBV machines were fairly new the Repubs managed to convince the Dem legislature that since the conversion process would be so expensive that they should delay it until "after the next election".

Guess what? "Somehow" the Repubs swept the Legislature, and then decided to dump the paper ballot law because it was "too expensive".

So, now the Repub-controlled Legislature has mounted 3 different ways to make our purple state a red one:

1. unverifiable Black Box Voting
2. New Voter ID laws (vote suppression)
3. Redistricting to favor Republicans.

We've got a lot of work to do!

[Tennessee Gal]

21. Yes, we do. Glad there is someone like you who is so knowledgeable about

what is going on in our beautiful state!

I am old enough to remember when things weren't quite so red here! I remember Democratic Senators like Albert Gore, Sr., Ross Bass, and Jim Sasser. I remember Democratic Governors like Buford Ellington, Frank Clement, and Ned McWherter.

Went to change my address the other day and had a discussion with a lady at the election commission about requiring picture id. Made my points and I think she agreed, but for now it is what it is.

Glad to see all you fellow Tennesseans here!

GO VOLS! GO VOLS!

[NashvilleLefty]

23. You'd think that after that crook Sundquist

who almost bankrupted our state and the way that Bredesen fixed it, voters here would have learned. Then again, Haslim got in about the same time the Republicans "swept" the government.

For anyone who doubts that TN is really purple, here's a list of Governors since 1971:

Winfield Dunn January 16, 1971 – January 18, 1975 Republican b. 1927 MS Dentist
Ray Blanton January 18, 1975 – January 16, 1979 Democratic 1930–1996 TN Farmer, businessman
Lamar Alexander January 16, 1979 – January 17, 1987 Republican b. 1940 TN Lawyer, US Senator
Ned McWherter January 17, 1987 – January 21, 1995 Democratic 1930–2011 TN Businessman
Don Sundquist January 21, 1995 – January 18, 2003 Republican b. 1936 IL Businessman
Phil Bredesen January 18, 2003 – January 15, 2011 Democratic b. 1943 NJ Businessman
Bill Haslam January 15, 2011 – present Republican b. 1958 TN Businessman

Notice it swaps back and forth.

[Tennessee Gal]

25. Ray Blanton had a pardon scandal, so I am not so proud of him.

After leaving office, he was investigated by the FBI. He was never charged in the pardons matter, but he was eventually indicted on charges of selling liquor licenses. He was convicted and sentenced to federal prison.

[Tennessee Gal]

8. Early voting rules by state ............

link: http://www.longdistancevoter.org/early_voting_rules#.UEtQBq5kcaM

[justgamma]

9. I'm pretty sure Iowa is first.

I'll proudly be voting for President Obama and the great Bruce Braley on Sep. 27th. 19 days from now.

[LeftofObama]

10. I think our early voting in Ohio

starts Oct 2 or 3. I'll be there the first day!

[KatyaR]

11. Friday, Saturday, and (I think) Monday before Election Day.

The lines are just as long as on Election Day.

[Tennessee Gal]

14. Fortunately, we have several days of early voting and the lines are never very long. nt

[HopeHoops]

12. About 8:00 a.m. on 6 November.

[Teamster Jeff]

15. Illinois - Oct. 22 to Nov. 3 nt

[Mz Pip]

19. No early voting in CA

but the absentee ballots go out in a few weeks. I've voted absentee for years. I think it really helps speed things up. OUr ballots are usually teeming with initiatives and it takes a very long time to fill it out.

[Retrograde]

22. Ca has early voting

or my county is making up its own rules. One can vote in person at the registrar's office 29 days before the election during normal business hours, and on the two weekends before the election. In addition, vote-by-mail ballots can be dropped off at city halls throughout the county during normal business hours during the month before the election, or at any polling place in the county on election day. Or they can be mailed in.

And still less than a third of registered voters bothered in the June primary. And it wasn't even one of the 7 page monsters.

[Mz Pip]

24. Learn something new everyday!

I'e been voting absentee for years and just mail my ballot in. I really didn't know that a person could show up at the registrar's office ahead of election day and vote.

[LWolf]

20. Regular ballots will be mailed

October 19 - 23. We can at any point between the day it shows up in our mailbox and election day; if we vote early enough, we can mail them in. If not, there are drop boxes at the library and other locations.

Overseas and military ballots are mailed Sept. 22nd; out-of-state ballots are mailed October 8th.

Voter registration deadline is October 16th.

[Blue_In_AK]

26. Two weeks before the election.

I will be voting early since I'll be in Los Angeles on election day.