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Provisional voting
A provisional ballot is used to record a vote when there are questions in regards to a given voter's eligibility. A provisional ballot would be cast when:
The voter refuses to show a photo ID (in regions that require one)
The voter's name does not appear on the electoral roll for the given precinct.
The voter's registration contains inaccurate or out-dated information such as the wrong address or a misspelled name.
The voter's ballot has already been recorded
In the above the reason for a provisional ballot is that the voter has violated or ignored regulations or laws in regard to voting.
The question boils down to why have rules, regulations, or laws if they can be avoided or worked around.
Do you favor this voting method?
Is it the voters responsibility to register properly and obey the laws?
John Smith 30+
It is the government's responsibility to make voting as accessible as possible to every potential voter. It is American national and local governments who neglect to make voter registration obsolete by using, for example, social security numbers to make voter lists (as many countries already do) and it's these same governments that issues IDs for its own services, without a photo on them (unthinkable in many countries) and it's also these governments that have say in whether or not people (including the disabled, single parents and people with jobs they have to be at) have to stand in line for hours.
Robert Winner 50+
John your suggestion that the government is to blame and is at fault is consistant with those who desire a change of government. My view is consistant ..... get off your butt and go register ... take some responsibility for yourself ..... the government ain't your mom or dad .... grow up. Nuff said.
John Smith 30+
What would I need answers to? I already know how voting works in the US and I know how it works in my country (and many others), my country's process is simply superior. We don' have long waiting lines, registration drives, voting computers or problems with IDs. We don't even have a discussion about provisional ballots because we simply have no need for them.
"Both parties make a push to register everyone who makes any effort at all or even some who do not seek assistance and even provide transport to vote..."
The mere fact that you view the two-party system as natural shows you haven't thought critically about the nature of voting and democracy. How about you answer me why voters in democrat districts in republican states have to wait 8 hours in line (how the F is transportation to it going to help you when you haven't gotten the day off, are disabled or have a child to attend to)? And can you also please explain to me how it's possible that some US state governments thought a non-picture ID was reliable enough to get social security and medicaid/medicare to, but not reliable enough use as ID when voting? Can you explain how it is that in the United States there even exist government issued IDs with no photo on them?
Gail . 50+
Because of voter suppression tactics, many Ohio voters chose to bypass the 8-10 hour long lines in Democrat districts and go to Republican voting districts where there were no lines. There they showed photo ID and cast a provisional ballot which was then checked against voter registration logs before being counted.
From what we saw in the last election, the way to fix the system is to make voting centers equal around the state. If there are 8-10 hour long lines in the cities, arrange it so that they are equally as long in rural areas where Republicans vote.
Voter suppression is reprehensible.
Robert Winner 50+
In Arizona one pollling place was held for a hour while they went for more provisional ballots as they had ran out. Everyone still voted. The point is that if these people were properly registered, had proper ID, went to their regular poll, etc ... even they would not have been delayed. That poll had an excess of 400% voters who were not from that precinct.
If there had been gerrymandering or voter supression it would have brought out the media sharks in a frenzy.
As an Independent I compliment you on recognizing that republicans ran polls more efficiently than democrats ... perhaps democrats will study these more effective methods and next election they also will be efficient. It was generous of you to document this.
Gail . 50+
And as to Republicans running polls more efficiently than democrats - it is OBVIOUS that you have never volunteered to be a poll worker. You haven't a clue as to how elections are run.
I don't know why you have to be so mean.
EVERYONE should have equally fair ballot access and one party should not use state law to silence the voice of the majority of voters. That's probably why Republicans lost the presidential bid - because of intense voter backlash from those who were watching and who, in seeing the injustice and danger, voted for the first time
Perhaps it's time to get over it.
Robert Winner 50+
Second question is how can paper ballots crash?
Third question: Is provisional voting voter fraud? If not what are you refering to.
Daryl Roche
Robert Winner 50+
Second question is how can paper ballots crash?
Third question: Is provisional voting voter fraud? If not what are you refering to.
Xavier Belvemont 30+
For example, between 2002-2005, out of 197,000,000 votes there were 40 speculated cases of voter fraud, only 26 ending in a conviction and/or guilty plea. (0.00000013%)
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/voter-fraud-real-rare/story?id=17213376#.UNNYliAV8bI
All this does is increase time, energy, costs and paperwork.
If theres any potential issue on the subject of voting, its those who count them.