Wisconsin county clerk objects to weekend voting because it gives urban areas ‘too much access’

a reply to: essentialtremors

Perhaps if they cared as much about voting as they do college football, they would be better represented.

Here in the United States of America, we have the best damn government money can buy. What's the problem?

a reply to: essentialtremors

How much time does a city with 1,000 voters need in comparison to a city with 2 million voters? Do you really think it takes the same amount of time and resources? You even said it yourself, 2 cities have more voters than the rest of the entire State. Obviously it's going to take more time and resources for them than the smaller cities.

a reply to: olaru12

LoL! I take it you don't understand this state at all then. Politics and football are the ONLY thing that matters around here.

Most of the people outside of those 2 cities work well into the evenings and then some.

It's also worth noting that the city harbors a completely different lifestyle and mindset than the rest of the state.

Also, again let me say that no matter how the rest of the state votes, the population alone in those 2 cities will undermine the rest of the state everytime. It's been an ongoing issue since as long as I can remember.

Either EVERYONE gets weekend voting, or no one does.

a reply to: enlightenedservant
Admittedly, we've never had this problem that Wisconsin does.

The logistics of our elections seem to go pretty smoothly. Even though our 2 cities do have more people, it's not near enough of a population to cause these issues.

a reply to: essentialtremors

No problem. I just wanted to point out the massive differences between lightly populated districts and heavily populated ones. I pretty much had to do early voting in the large city because the lines were ridiculous on election day. Add in the people who have to work on election day and it can be outright chaotic (especially when polling stations are underfunded, have malfunctioning equipment, have far too many people assigned to them, etc).

a reply to: BlubberyConspiracy

The city should fund a study?

How about just make the access equal for everyone?

It's a serious problem when people claim they want equality when what they really want is superiority.

Seems like some people don't want to end exploitation, they just want to be the ones doing the exploiting.

Check your mirror.

My guess is, it wouldn't make an iota of difference in the vote figures if weekend voting were provided to people out of the urban areas. All states have the issue of decisions being made by the majority. Since the majority are always in the big cities, the big cities hold the most votes. I don't see what is so difficult to understand here. It's been like this forever.

Maybe they should put a restriction on the amount of people in urban areas allowed to vote. Like maybe the first 20,000 and then shut down the polls. SMH.

But this comment really takes the cake:

The county clerk added that long lines in urban areas were actually a sign that voters had enough access to polls.

“Apparently access is an easy thing or they wouldn’t have long lines,” she opined.

This clerk should be fired because she's an idiot. But the government prides itself on hiring idiots so her job is secure.

a reply to: StoutBroux

The way I am understanding the clerk's quote is that since long lines are comprised of many people, access to polls is "an easy thing", because if it weren't, there would be no long lines.

a reply to: MiddleInitial

Look at it historically to get the context of that quote. African Americans were first guaranteed the right to vote in the 1960s. Before that, we weren't even given "access" to voting lines (except for a short period during Reconstruction after the Civil War ended). So the clerk seems to be saying that since the "urban" areas have long lines at the polls, that means the "access" problem has been solved.

The clerk doesn't seem to care about the number of voters in the district, the amount of time needed to process each voter, the amount of voters per polling place, etc.

The issue is that outside of the cities the offices aren't open for small town folks to vote on weekends

Yeah but they have much less population, so they probably don't need polls open on the weekends. Not to mention, a lot of them don't work regular jobs (farming, seasonal work) so they can take some time during a weekday to go vote.

a reply to: CB328

I really hope I misread that...

You think farming isn't a regular job?

No, you're right, it's not. It's seven days a week usually, ten to twelve hours of those days. Planting. Harvesting. Getting the harvest to market. Getting ready to plant, which means maintenance on equipment like irrigation pumps, the pipes attached to those pumps, the various tractors need work. Getting ready to harvest. ...and on, and on, and on.

Seldom are there weekends for the vast majority of farmer and ranchers...why do you suppose they're aged beyond their years so often?

originally posted by: seagull
a reply to: CB328

I really hope I misread that...

You think farming isn't a regular job?

No, you're right, it's not. It's seven days a week usually, ten to twelve hours of those days. Planting. Harvesting. Getting the harvest to market. Getting ready to plant, which means maintenance on equipment like irrigation pumps, the pipes attached to those pumps, the various tractors need work. Getting ready to harvest. ...and on, and on, and on.

Seldom are there weekends for the vast majority of farmer and ranchers...why do you suppose they're aged beyond their years so often?

I think he/she means they aren't enslaved by a 9-5. I grew up around farms, you're right a farmer's work is never done, but a farmer is their own boss and can arrange their work sked to get away to the voting booth. At least that's the way I took it....from my own rural experience

originally posted by: seagull
a reply to: CB328

I really hope I misread that...

You think farming isn't a regular job?

No, you're right, it's not. It's seven days a week usually, ten to twelve hours of those days. Planting. Harvesting. Getting the harvest to market. Getting ready to plant, which means maintenance on equipment like irrigation pumps, the pipes attached to those pumps, the various tractors need work. Getting ready to harvest. ...and on, and on, and on.

Seldom are there weekends for the vast majority of farmer and ranchers...why do you suppose they're aged beyond their years so often?

You are right, however, they are not held to a rigid schedule like those with a "normal" (I hate that word) job. After working in the dairy business for several years, have seen many folks leave the farm for a couple of hours to take care of things.

most states offer early voting or mail in voting

if you really want to vote, you can

a reply to: Connector

Agreed.

I worked on a farm as hired help in high school...you learn very quickly what it is. I'd arrive at 700 am, and he'd been working for two or three hours already... When I'd leave in the late afternoon, he'd still have several hours left. Loved him to pieces, as he'd never ask/tell someone to do something he wouldn't or couldn't do...

But old before his time. He died at 54 years old, I've always thought he just wore out. I'm 52 now. I drive by his farm now, and it's a damned corporate farm...

He did it for the love of it, the land, the work, his family. What does this manager do it for...a check.