Should the election date be moved because of Sandy?

Parent Cafe
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<p>Some states already have contingency plans in place.

[Election</a> Law @ Moritz - e-Book](<a href=“http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/ebook/part7/elections_pres07.html]Election”>http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/ebook/part7/elections_pres07.html)</p>

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<p>This is not true. I hope no one in California declines to vote because they don’t have their booklet. The board suggests you bring the booklet to expedite voting, but it’s not required. Your name and address is on the voting roll book at the polls and ID is not required unless you are a first time voter in your county.</p>

<p>[FAQ</a> - ID Requirements - HAVA - Elections & Voter Information - California Secretary of State](<a href=“http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/hava_id_requirements.htm]FAQ”>http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/hava_id_requirements.htm)</p>

<p>I think it’s unlikely that the election will be postponed, but I think that the storm may effect the election because it may be hard to get the machines into the areas where so much devastation has occurred. Atlantic City voters will have problems, and this morning I’m hearing about several cities that are flooded. When people have lost their homes, voting isn’t necessarily the first thing on the agenda.</p>

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<p>If power has not been restored, many areas will need to resurrect their old voting machines so at the very least results may be delayed. I also think that there will be many that don’t vote because of more immediately pressing concerns.</p>

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<p>The Governor of NY just said that coastal portions of the state that are currently flooded and without power may not have power back for days, or even weeks. :(</p>

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<p>If today were election day we might have to seriously consider moving election day, but with election day a full week ahead I don’t see it as an issue. Sorry if your power is out for a week. That happened last time (2011?) too.</p>

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<p>^^^ Despite loss of power in the private sector, many places do have power … hospitals, government locations, some restaurants ;). Voting locations can be adjusted, if need be.</p>

<p>I keep my voter registration card (TX) in my wallet, but if I didn’t have it I could use my driver’s license or any other of multiple identifiers:</p>

<p>* Department of Public Safety ID card</p>

<pre><code>A form of ID containing the person’s photo that establishes the person’s identity

A birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes the person’s identity

U.S. citizenship papers

A U.S. passport

Official mail addressed to the person, by name, from a governmental entity

A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the person’s name and address

Any other form of ID prescribed by the secretary of state*
</code></pre>

<p>Even if I had none of the above I could still vote:</p>

<p>A voter who does not present a voter registration certificate when offering to vote, but whose name is on the list of registered voters for the precinct in which the voter is offering to vote, shall be accepted for voting if the voter executes an affidavit stating that the voter does not have the voter’s voter registration certificate in the voter’s possession and the voter presents other proof of identification. A voter who does not present a voter registration certificate and cannot present other identification may vote a provisional ballot. A voter who does not present a voter registration certificate and whose name is not on the list of registered voters may vote a provisional ballot.</p>

<p>I’ve lost all paper work in a unexpected flood: it’s harder to convince a doctor’s office you have insurance than it is to vote. (Fact!)</p>

<p>Question: If I early-voted and then the election is delayed by weeks (month or more?), can I change my vote? It might turn out to be a matter of months between my vote and election day. I’m one of those “undecided” voters and it makes me uncomfortable to know that I could have had an extra month or so to make up my mind. I bet the answer to my question is “no” … darn …</p>

<p>Seriously, would the election be delayed for all or for some states? I voted on so many things besides president, senator, representatives … such as D.A., judges, sheriff, state board of education, railroad commissioner, local school board … I assume those races would be put on hold also. I can’t see this being a good thing overall.</p>

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<p>I just checked receipt of my ballot online.
They’ve verified my signature and are ready to count it!
:)</p>

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<p>In NY no need to show any ID when you go to vote. Just your signature needed next to your name in the book when you show up at the polls. If there is no power they can use paper ballets. And, thankfully, in NY, citizen propositions/referendums are not allowed, so our ballots aren’t pages long like in many other states.</p>

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<p>The uniform election day for President is set by a federal law adopted on January 23, 1845. It would take an act of Congress to allow for a State to have a different election day (prior to 1845, State’s could set their own Presidential Election day).</p>

<p>Congress may also change the date the Electoral College meets (Monday after the 2nd Wednesday in December - 3 USC Section 7) to allow time for late voting states to select the delegates.</p>

<p>Absent an act of Congress, the courts can “extend” the time a “polling location” is open. If a poll opens late, or cannot otherwise process voters (machine broken, runs out of ballots, etc.), then that polling location’s time can be extended for the length of time it is delayed. So, if it takes 48 hours to get ballots/working voting machines to the polling location, the polling location can, in theory, be open for an extra 48 hours.</p>

<p>Note: Let’s assume that: 1) States are allowed to change their election date; 2) your “home state” was not affected and you voted on Nov 6; and 3) New Hampshire delayed the election for 14 days, and has a 10 day residency requirement prior to the date of an election.</p>

<p>In theory you could vote in your Home State, travel to New Hampshire, and establish a presence, and vote in the delayed election.</p>

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<p>I think a state could delay the state portion of the election, but Congress sets the date of the federal elections as the first Tuesday after the first Monday. I think the law also states that for the presidential election all states must vote on the same day or at least end voting on the same day.</p>

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<p>*I think the law also states that for the presidential election all states must vote on the same day or at least end voting on the same day.
*
Unless the governor has declared a state of emergency as referenced above.</p>