US Senators Introduce Resolution to Allow Remote Voting During Emergencies • Hacker News Board

Re: US Senators Introduce Resolution to Allow Remote Voting During Emergencies

#31

Post by karatestomp » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 4:58 PM UTC

natch wrote: post #19

Off topic since this is about senators, but to nip a possible related thread in the bud, an important reason why remote voting for citizens is a bad idea is that it can enable massive scale vote manipulation through schemes to buy or otherwise influence votes. In the privacy of one's home, outside a controlled voting booth, the problem is exacerbated, counterintuitively. A voter at home or in another uncontrolled set…

Has this happened with members of the military or in states that already allow vote-by-mail? If not, why not?

Re: US Senators Introduce Resolution to Allow Remote Voting During Emergencies

#32

Post by smileysteve » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 4:58 PM UTC

chottocharaii wrote: post #17

dguido wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The main reason is political: It would let senators stay in their home districts and campaign for their entire time in office, making it easier to neglect their duties to write and pass legislation. Politicians may be more motivated to work together on issues affecting the country in DC together. Staying in their home district could be a distraction because of the competing interests of being re-elected. In general,…

OTOH staying in their home districts means they may be more attentive to the needs of their home districts, and less likely to be swayed by pressure from the corridors of washington

And all of a sudden further distanced from both lobbyists and the press

Re: US Senators Introduce Resolution to Allow Remote Voting During Emergencies

#33

Post by jkeuhlen » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 5:00 PM UTC

karatestomp wrote: post #3

Oh, I thought the headline meant remote voting for, you know, voters, not Senators, and was very surprised to see an R next to one of the sponsor's names. The bill's just to let the Senate vote remotely. I'd imagine most of the interesting nuance is about "presence" and quorum-making. This is not about expanding remote/by-mail voting in elections, which Republicans have generally been strongly against, including and…

The federal government does not have the jurisdiction to change how people vote in elections. That is determined by the states.

Re: US Senators Introduce Resolution to Allow Remote Voting During Emergencies

#34

Post by karatestomp » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 5:01 PM UTC

beatgammit wrote: post #29

ShakataGaNai wrote: post #11

They're making sure they can vote... but yet no one has worked to make sure all of the American people can vote safely (Read also: mail in ballots for everyone).

A lot of states already do it. I think all we need to do is get the POTUS to publicly shame any remaining holdouts. It's not that expensive, so it wouldn't likely present a hardship for states to implement, so a little push in the right direction may be enough.

AFAIK they all already have to support vote-by-mail for various reasons (the military, if nothing else) so it wouldn't be an introduction of a new program, but an expansion of an existing one. Which, yes, might add costs, but it's not a wholly new process for any state, I think.

Re: US Senators Introduce Resolution to Allow Remote Voting During Emergencies

#35

Post by wool_gather » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 5:02 PM UTC

beatgammit wrote: post #29

ShakataGaNai wrote: post #11

They're making sure they can vote... but yet no one has worked to make sure all of the American people can vote safely (Read also: mail in ballots for everyone).

A lot of states already do it. I think all we need to do is get the POTUS to publicly shame any remaining holdouts. It's not that expensive, so it wouldn't likely present a hardship for states to implement, so a little push in the right direction may be enough.

Current POTUS has come out in opposition to vote-by-mail. Why would he want to be involved in shaming states?

Re: US Senators Introduce Resolution to Allow Remote Voting During Emergencies

#36

Post by irrational » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 5:02 PM UTC

I know this is talking about Senator voting, but I feel like it is time for states to seriously adopt mail-in voting like Oregon (and other states). We have to assume that there could be a shelter-in-place order in the future during the beginning of November. Better to prepare now rather than to scramble for a solution at the last minute.

Re: US Senators Introduce Resolution to Allow Remote Voting During Emergencies

#37

Post by karatestomp » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 5:03 PM UTC

jkeuhlen wrote: post #33

karatestomp wrote: post #3

Oh, I thought the headline meant remote voting for, you know, voters, not Senators, and was very surprised to see an R next to one of the sponsor's names. The bill's just to let the Senate vote remotely. I'd imagine most of the interesting nuance is about "presence" and quorum-making. This is not about expanding remote/by-mail voting in elections, which Republicans have generally been strongly against, including and…

The federal government does not have the jurisdiction to change how people vote in elections. That is determined by the states.

Right, but it could have been an amendment, or (more likely) some incentive-based "we're not making you, you'll just get less money if you don't" thing.

Re: US Senators Introduce Resolution to Allow Remote Voting During Emergencies

#38

Post by ilikehurdles » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 5:04 PM UTC

djcjr wrote: post #9

When was the last time a candidate represented your views? Does voting matter any more?

We benefited in a number a ways from the regulations imposed on insurance by the ACA. Obama represented some of my view, but not all of them all the way, and was counter to some of my other views, yet I voted for him and considered that the right choice.

It's been nice being in states where people voted for candidates that legalized marijuana. Does a candidate need to be an exact spitting image of me and my values to be worth voting for?

Re: US Senators Introduce Resolution to Allow Remote Voting During Emergencies

#39

Post by notfromhere » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 5:04 PM UTC

beatgammit wrote: post #29

ShakataGaNai wrote: post #11

They're making sure they can vote... but yet no one has worked to make sure all of the American people can vote safely (Read also: mail in ballots for everyone).

A lot of states already do it. I think all we need to do is get the POTUS to publicly shame any remaining holdouts. It's not that expensive, so it wouldn't likely present a hardship for states to implement, so a little push in the right direction may be enough.

POTUS and the GOP are against it because opening up voting access means they lose elections

Re: US Senators Introduce Resolution to Allow Remote Voting During Emergencies

#40

Post by malandrew » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 5:05 PM UTC

irrational wrote: post #36

I know this is talking about Senator voting, but I feel like it is time for states to seriously adopt mail-in voting like Oregon (and other states). We have to assume that there could be a shelter-in-place order in the future during the beginning of November. Better to prepare now rather than to scramble for a solution at the last minute.

How do we do remote voting securely? The moment you move from a tiny minority voting by mail to the overwhelming majority voting by mail, the payoff for corrupting that process goes up dramatically.