| − | '''Early voting''' refers to extending voting over many days, and even weeks, and allow people to mail in ballots rather than show up in person on election day without having to provide a valid excuse. Traditionally, absentee voters had to state one of several allowed reasons to vote before election day, while early voting is available to all eligible voters. Scholars consider both early voting and absentee voting to be forms of "convenience voting",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://earlyvoting.net/research/journal-article/convenience-voting-gronke-galanes-rosenbaum-miller-toffey-2008/|title=Convenience Voting|author=Gronke, Galanes-Rosenbaum, Miller, Toffey|accessdate=October 30, 2012}}</ref> which are used by more that 30% of United States voters. | + | '''Early voting''' refers to extending voting over many days, and even weeks, and allow people to mail-in ballots rather than show up in person on election day without having to provide a valid excuse. It is a liberal gimmick that has the effect of partially disenfranchising the value of informed voting on Election Day. |
| − | Early voting has spread as computer technology simplifies the task of preventing multiple votes by the same voter. Early voting has been adopted in many countries, including Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand. As pushed by [[Democrat]]s, many states in the United States have laws adopting forms of early voting. According to the Early Voting Center at Reed College, the following states allow early voting in 2012: North Carolina, Indiana, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Georgia, Arkansas, Idaho, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Louisiana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, California, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada and Hawaii.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reed.edu/earlyvoting/calendar/|title=Early voting calendar, 2012|accessdate=October 30, 2012}}</ref>
| + | Traditionally, absentee voters had to state one of several allowed reasons to vote before election day, while early voting encourages all eligible voters to cast ballots that are not fully informed, prior to Election Day. Scholars consider both early voting and absentee voting to be forms of "convenience voting",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://earlyvoting.net/research/journal-article/convenience-voting-gronke-galanes-rosenbaum-miller-toffey-2008/|title=Convenience Voting|author=Gronke, Galanes-Rosenbaum, Miller, Toffey|accessdate=October 30, 2012}}</ref> which are used by more that 30% of United States voters. |
| − | In 2008, one-third of Americans voted prior to Election Day, and that fraction continues to increase. In the [[Mystery:Nevada Election 2010|Nevada Election 2010]], more than half the votes cast were by early voting. Some states make the list of early voters and absentee voters available to the public or to the political campaigns. By contrast, all states make the list of voters available after an election.
| + | Early voting has spread as Democrats realize that the uninformed votes give them a comparative advantage. As pushed by [[Democrat]]s, many states in the United States have laws adopting forms of early voting. According to the Early Voting Center at Reed College, the following states allow early voting in 2012: North Carolina, Indiana, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Georgia, Arkansas, Idaho, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Louisiana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, California, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada and Hawaii.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reed.edu/earlyvoting/calendar/|title=Early voting calendar, 2012|accessdate=October 30, 2012}}</ref> Liberal-leaning foreign nations have also adopted some form of early voting, such as Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand. |
| − | Most states allow early voting in some form, but the percentage of votes cast by early voting varies from 100% to just a few percent.
| + | In 2008, one-third of Americans voted prior to Election Day, and that fraction increased to 40% or so in 2012. In the [[Mystery:Nevada Election 2010|Nevada Election 2010]], more than half the votes cast were by early voting. Some states make the list of early voters and absentee voters available to the public or to the political campaigns. By contrast, all states make the list of voters available after an election. |