Gilchrist Loses to Absentee Voters
It looks like the well organized Republican machine delivered for John Campbell, as he actually won Tuesday’s special election entirely on the strength of his absentee support.
Absentee Voter Results
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John Campbell (Rep) 30,895 (53.18%)
Steve Young (Dem) 14,697 (25.30%)
Jim Gilchrist (AI) 10,944 (18.84%)
Béa Tiritilli (Grn) 915 (1.58%)
Bruce Cohen (Lib) 644 (1.10%)
Election Day Voters
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Jim Gilchrist (AI) 12,293 35.28%
Steve Young (Dem) 11,229 32.23%
John Campbell (Rep) 10,555 30.29%
Béa Tiritilli (Grn) 327 0.94%
Bruce Cohen (Lib) 236 0.68%
December 9th, 2005 at 6:38 am
I am convinced that absentee voting is a tool to keep the establishment party entrenched.
December 9th, 2005 at 8:23 am
You’ve said before, but every time I have voted it has been by absentee (I’m in my 20s). Until they make the first Tuesday in November a national holiday, I intend to continue.
December 9th, 2005 at 1:37 pm
rj, are you disabled, or in the military? If not you should HAVE to go to the polls to vote, there is NO reason to have permanent absentee voters.
December 9th, 2005 at 2:21 pm
Absentee vote, early vote, election day vote…it doesn’t matter. what matters is that people are voting and that the votes are VALID…with no fraud! I strongly suspect though that there are machinations in abesentee voting…especially with the Republicans.
December 9th, 2005 at 2:48 pm
Wow
December 9th, 2005 at 4:37 pm
Indie, that is precisely the point. The reason for abolishing absentee voting is because it is prone to fraud – as the skewed results in this race suggest.
December 9th, 2005 at 5:00 pm
Joe: Indi is right, though. Election Day should be a national holiday. If need be, it should be the ONLY national holiday. Then, maybe we could talk about abolishing absentee voting.
December 9th, 2005 at 7:20 pm
In most places, if not all, the polls are open for 16 hours on any election day, so IMO, there is no reason not to be able to get to the polling location to vote.
December 9th, 2005 at 10:08 pm
The polls in Georgia aren’t open for 16 hrs, just for 11 hrs. I could not of voted until I was out of college if it weren’t for absentee voting and due to the hrs my dad works he always has to vote absentee
December 9th, 2005 at 10:14 pm
I was off by one hr above. the polls in Georgia are open 12 hrs
December 10th, 2005 at 6:44 am
I was going to say that 12 hours is long enough since people only work 8. Then I thought of my commute. I wouldnt have time to get ready for work if I went before work, and I probably wouldnt make it after work either. Unless I want to sleep at work. A national holiday for election day isnt a bad idea.