http://www.slideshare.net/aquariusmoonduhart/early-voting-2012-revised-2
Just like to share this with everyone. Yes, a few dates have passed, but some are starting, and everyone needs this info.
I’ve been a fan of early voting since the 2008 Democratic primary. When I voted both in the primary and the General, I was able to enjoy shorter lines and to not sit around wondering if the votes would really be counted or not due to some last-minute snafu.
I voted in the 2008 General on Columbus Day. I went to the Board of Elections and had my choice of booth-no line, even though they had a steady stream of people all day. I then was able to go have a dinner out(it was my birthday) and feel relaxed because I didn’t have to obsess over results that night. I also was pretty certain about who I voted for because I had the time to actually read the ballot.
I worked the polls in 2004, and I saw the difference that early voting has made in organization and in getting votes counted. I spent 2004 Election Day knocking on the doors trying to get last minute voters. I remember working one inner city neighborhood trying to get people to vote at the last minute. We and ACT (Americans Coming Together) had nothing-no list of people, not even a list of existing addresses-or even a guide to what neighborhoods were more productive. Yet we had to try to get last minute voters that we had never contacted to actually vote. We didn’t even know if the people we contacted were Republican or Democrat or even registered to vote. And because it was all so rushed, we didn’t even have time to make sure they actually did vote.
Early voting has taken care of a lot of the disorganization and uncertainty. We know who we are contacting and if they are going to support Obama or not, and the only consideration is whether or not those people have already voted. Just get them to the polls on time.
Another fan of early voting is probably the Election Board people themselves. If a hefty number of people have already voted, then Election Day nights have to be shorter by far because of a shorter last-minute rush to the polls that create long lines and more hassles to verify registration. There are fewer aggravated voters finding out at the last minute they aren’t registered with no time to correct that. An early voter finds out in time to correct mistakes and cast a valid ballot, which makes for a happier voter.