• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Mission Statement
  • Commenter Rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Account Access
The Moderate Voice

The Moderate Voice

An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Media
  • Inspiration and Living
  • Economy
  • International
  • Movie Reviews

GOP Struggling To Harm Biden

GOP Struggling To Harm Biden

Posted on April 17, 2021
Vaccination rates break down along party lines

Vaccination rates break down along party lines

Posted on April 17, 2021
Are mass shootings an American epidemic?

Are mass shootings an American epidemic?

Posted on April 16, 2021
Another US mass shooting leaves eight dead in Indianapolis

Another US mass shooting leaves eight dead in Indianapolis

Posted on April 16, 2021
… and the Oscar goes to … Are they kidding?

… and the Oscar goes to … Are they kidding?

Posted on April 16, 2021
Afghanistan: It’s Done. No More. 3.0  (UPDATE)

Afghanistan: It’s Done. No More. 3.0 (UPDATE)

Posted on April 15, 2021
U.S. imposes wide array of sanctions on Russia for ‘malign’ actions

U.S. imposes wide array of sanctions on Russia for ‘malign’ actions

Posted on April 15, 2021
Minnesota officer who shot Black man after traffic stop charged with manslaughter

Minnesota officer who shot Black man after traffic stop charged with manslaughter

Posted on April 14, 2021
‘Time to end the forever war’: Biden to start U.S. Afghanistan pullout on May 1

‘Time to end the forever war’: Biden to start U.S. Afghanistan pullout on May 1

Posted on April 14, 2021
U.S. calls for pause to J&J COVID-19 vaccine over rare blood clots

U.S. calls for pause to J&J COVID-19 vaccine over rare blood clots

Posted on April 13, 2021
Biden walks tightrope with bipartisan talks on $2 trillion infrastructure bill

Biden walks tightrope with bipartisan talks on $2 trillion infrastructure bill

Posted on April 12, 2021
Entitled

Entitled

Posted on April 12, 2021
Thank You, Sir, May I Have Another? (UPDATED)

Thank You, Sir, May I Have Another? (UPDATED)

Posted on April 11, 2021
Will Bunch: If GOP, Mitch McConnell really wants ‘woke’ corporations out of politics, here’s how

Will Bunch: If GOP, Mitch McConnell really wants ‘woke’ corporations out of politics, here’s how

Posted on April 9, 2021
Britain’s Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, dies aged 99

Britain’s Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, dies aged 99

Posted on April 9, 2021
Embracing Taiwan

Embracing Taiwan

Posted on April 9, 2021
You are here: Home / Politics / 2016 Elections / 1.4 million wasted votes raise questions about early voting

1.4 million wasted votes raise questions about early voting

March 30, 2016 by Chad Selweski 7 Comments

Early voting is widely viewed as an advance in ballot access that provides a fairer election process for those who have trouble getting to the polls on Election Day.

But the ups and downs of the 2016 primary season certainly raise questions about employing an early voting system during a volatile nominating process in which candidates abruptly drop out, leaving their supporters with a wasted vote.

As the issue of votes for dropouts gains prominence, the Wall Street Journal has crunched the numbers and found that a combined 1.4 million Republican votes were wasted since the primary/caucus season began in February.

In three states – Vermont, Missouri and Arkansas – the number of votes cast for a candidate who had dropped out by Election Day exceeded the margin of victory for the winner in those states.

Jeb Bush leads this dubious list with 159,000 meaningless votes cast for the former Florida governor. He is followed by Dr. Ben Carson and Sen. Marco Rubio. But tens of thousands of “blackhole ballots,” as the WSJ labels them, also were collectively cast for Rand Paul, Chris Chistie, Mike Huckabee, Carly Fiorina, and Rick Santorum.

Early voting is mostly responsible for this phenomenon as some states offer weeks of opportunity to cast a ballot before their Election Day. In Arizona, a month of early voting resulted in dropout Marco Rubio gaining a third-place finish last week even though he was no longer in the race.

In Mississippi, early returns showed Rubio in fourth place in a three-man race as Ben Carson was outpolling the Florida senator though the neurosurgeon had bowed out.

The question becomes: Why should we have weeks of early voting during a primary season in which candidates drop out at fairly unpredictable moments?

Sure, some voters cast their ballot on Election Day for an ex-candidate out of stubborn loyalty. But a voter who casts a ballot three or four weeks prior is taking a risk, and has no recourse if their ballot subsequently becomes immaterial.

In most states, the primary consists of a one-issue ballot on the presidency – and that is the case in all caucuses. In many cases, Election Day conveniently takes place on a Saturday. So, a slow process with long lines is not much of an issue (unless you live in Arizona). There is little need to offer many days of voting in advance in order to make the process run smoother on Election Day.

For those who have problems making it to the polls on a designated date, two or three days of early voting should suffice.

That’s obviously a better system than having 1.4 million ballots go down a black hole.

Photo/Flickr/Creative Commons.

Filed Under: 2016 Elections, 2016 Presidential Election, Law, Politics Tagged With: 2016 Presidential Primaries, carly fiorina, Chris Chistie, early voting, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Politics, Rand Paul, Rick Santorum, Voting Results

Primary Sidebar

Donate to TMV

The TMV Feed

 Subscribe in a reader

Archives

Categories

The Latest

Most Commented Posts (7 or so days)

Copyright 1998 - 2020 The Moderate Voice. Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in