paul32x

Just received a request for a mail ballot today in the mail, covering the Primary in 2014, General Election 2014 and all other elections through 2016. I voted once already last Presidential election, but must still be in the newbie citizen phase, as I still actually enjoy the process of going down to vote in my new country rather than apply for and fill in a ballot in the comfort of our own home. How sad is that!!

Giantaxe

I'm the same as you... I love going to vote in person and seeing "democracy in action".

Pulaski

I hate the fact that in the US they don't even seem to bother counting mail-in votrs unless there is a chance that it could affect the outcome. .... Many candidates "concede" while counting still in progress.

I am certainly an in-person voter; I even voted in a primary run-off election once - the polling station was a very lonely place that day!

Redwing

We vote in all of our elections, and usually vote early.

sir_eccles

The rules vary from state to state but while a result may be called/conceded my understanding is that they do eventually count all mail in votes. That final count is the official result of record.

lansbury

Wish that did that in Oregon I would never have been elected. We only have mail in votes.

Pulaski

That makes sense, but I still find it sad to think that my mail-in ballot might still be sealed in a box when the result is "called".

Uncle_Bob

Sounds like there might be some people that wear the "I voted" sticker to work on voting day.

To me that just screams of "I used going to the polling station as an excuse to bunk off work when i could have voted by mail"

scrubbedexpat091

I've never actually voted in person, since being able to vote, I have either worked weird hours which just made going to a polling place in person difficult, or I have lived outside the country so I've always voted by mail.

I only vote in federal elections now that I am living outside the US.

WEBlue

+1

I enjoy voting in person, & feel good once it's done. (I don't wear the sticker though. )

Bluegrass Lass

Definitely varies by state. Only state I've ever voted in, KY, doesn't do mail-in ballots to all voters. Only people I've ever known to do a mail-in were disabled or elderly or lived out of state (i.e. students). Everyone else is expected to go in person if you want to vote.

Michael

In California, they start verifying the signatures on the envelope of mail-in ballots as soon as they receive them and are part of the initial count. However most people mail there ballots late and arrive only a day or two before the election and the signatures may take up to a week to be verified due to the large number of ballots received just prior to the election.

Even though the ballots are sent out about a month before the election, people being people tend to put off things until the last minute.