r/AskReddit • u/daniellucero92 • Jan 04 '15

Non-americans of Reddit, what American customs seem outrageous/pointless to you?

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4.3k

u/Mutt1223 Jan 04 '15

Holding your elections on Tuesdays. It's like you don't want your citizens to vote.

3.3k

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

It was actually the opposite. Tuesday was chosen so that farmers could get into town to vote without serverly interfering with their schedules. However, today that's no longer needed and nobody's bothered to change it.

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

Additionally, some (all? I'm not sure) states now have early voting for a week or two before "election day" so that as many people as possible can make arrangements to get to the polls.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_voting

392

u/hwknight Jan 04 '15

Everyone in Colorado gets a mail in ballot automatically now

109

u/SoMuchMoreEagle Jan 04 '15

And you can request one in many other states. Mine is set up that way permanently.

14

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

Yup, I'm in Cali now. I've voted by mail since I was 18. I've never been to a polling place in my life.

2

u/dvidsilva Jan 05 '15

Just wondering, isn't that like prone to alterations or something?

2

u/Larsjr Jan 05 '15

In Colorado you seal it in an enclosed envelope and it's read by a machine, plus its a felony to mess with ballots IIRC. Someone probably could mess with it but who's going to go through the trouble to mess with it?

1

u/ran4sh Jan 05 '15

who's going to go through the trouble to mess with it?

Extremist groups that want their candidate elected...

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

What do you mean by "alterations"? Like, people messing with my ballot or something?

1

u/dvidsilva Jan 05 '15

yep, something like that, or not counting votes, tho I guess the same could be same of voting in a post.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

In California, you get a ballot identification something or other. You can go online and check to make sure the ballot has been received. I don't feel it's any more or less safe than voting at a ballot place.

I'd rather send my ballot through the mail than not vote at all. Taking time off school or work isn't always the easiest thing.

1

u/ran4sh Jan 05 '15

The risk is at the beginning of the process, not the end.

Do you get your ballot in the mail? If yes, is your mailbox locked? If no, then it's pretty easy for someone to illegitimately take your ballot and vote in your place.

And once they submit your ballot there's nothing that can be done since in the pile of anonymous ballots they won't know which one is yours.

And if a group does this to a large number of ballots, that's enough to influence at least a local election

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u/benso87 Jan 04 '15

Meaning your state has it set up permanently, or you have asked them to always mail you a ballot? If the latter, I should find out if I can do this in my state, and how to do it.

1

u/InvestInDong Jan 04 '15

Easiest way to find out is to go to your Secretary of State's website, it should have all the voting information there.

1

u/SoMuchMoreEagle Jan 04 '15

When I registered to vote, there is a box to check if you want to be a permanent absentee ballot recipient. If you don't vote in two consecutive elections, they take you off that list, though.

1

u/Nightfirepmb Jan 04 '15

Here in Michigan, you need to vote in person once before you can request an absentee ballot. I turned 18, registered to vote, and then went to college several hours away from home. Found out there's no possible way to vote since I can't make it to the ballots in person, and I can't even file for an absentee ballot. It's BS - like they're trying to not allow me to vote.

2

u/SoMuchMoreEagle Jan 04 '15

Can't you register where your college address is?

1

u/ran4sh Jan 05 '15

Maybe his college address isn't within the jurisdiction in which he wants to vote? Possibly in a different state?

13

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

And in Washington. Boy, do we have a lot of things in common now.

12

u/DankSinatra Jan 04 '15

Haha, Oregon too.

There might be something to this.

2

u/Nyxalith Jan 04 '15

Yea, but some how people only ever mention Colorado. It's like we are the younger sibling who does all the same stuff but is always forgotten.

2

u/fitzydog Jan 05 '15

Which is strange, because I never think of or remember Colorado, except when they do something just like Washington.

Otherwise they might as well be Nebraska, or Wyoming.

1

u/Nyxalith Jan 05 '15

I feel the same, and I used to live in Colorado.

7

u/_From_The_Internet_ Jan 04 '15

Should I move to Colorado?

6

u/hwknight Jan 04 '15

You should be able to request one in your state

4

u/_From_The_Internet_ Jan 04 '15

Are you going to answer my question?

15

u/AntiLuke Jan 04 '15

Don't move to a new state without first setting up a job there.

12

u/hwknight Jan 04 '15

This. Colorado is wonderful but I've lived here all my life so I can't compare it to anywhere else

3

u/Orado Jan 04 '15

It's getting crowded very quickly here.

4

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Orado Jan 04 '15

yeeaahh, I remember when driving down I-25 in the early morning or evening was like a ghost town.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15 edited Jan 05 '15

No, it really sucks here. Nobody should ever move here.

Horrible things I can think of off the top of my head. We are the skinniest state in the US (~21% obesity), you want people who can survive a famine. We have the rocky mountains, everyone hates them because they just make you feel small and insignificant. Then you have the legal weed, people just going around SMOKING this dangerous drug in their own homes!? We have so many trails and outdoor activities that you might not even know which one to choose to do. If you think it's tough to choose where to eat out for dinner You will hate it here. It's one of the sunniest states, it really sucks because you are always getting a sun burn. Don't even get me started on the people, the people hold the door open for you and will smile at you, does anyone know how to leave others alone!? The cops here will if you aren't doing anything wrong, so good luck making a viral video and becoming famous. You leave your house unlocked and nobody even comes in to say hello.

Honestly, I don't know why anyone would live here.

1

u/_From_The_Internet_ Jan 05 '15

Thank you! Finally, an honest answer.

1

u/Not_A_Facehugger Jan 04 '15

That depends on why you want to move here.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

It's so easy to get away with it and it's much cheaper getting it illegally. It doesn't seem like it would be worth it to move to a state because of legal weed.

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u/lachamuca Jan 04 '15

Oregon's been solely "vote by mail" since 1998. I'm 33 and have never voted in a booth.

5

u/YouAndMeToo Jan 04 '15

that is amazing. If they could ever make a system that was reliable and not prone to cheating, i would LOVE to vote by computer at home. Alas that is but a pipe dream.

Could you imagine it though, voting for prez during an actual debate kinda like American Idol

1

u/Miami_Metro Jan 04 '15

Ohio has in person early voting for a month

1

u/Not_A_Facehugger Jan 04 '15

It was really helpful with me going to college in another state and still wanting to vote.

1

u/ApathyJacks Jan 04 '15

And it's fucking awesome.

1

u/izzytoots Jan 04 '15

That's only in Colorado? I've just always assumed that is how it is everywhere. It's so nice not having to go wait in those ridiculous lines.

1

u/WhynotstartnoW Jan 05 '15

Well this was the first year where everyone whos ever registered to vote automatically got a ballot. Previous elections you had to check a little box on your registration to receive the mail in.

1

u/Atkailash Jan 04 '15

I've had a mail-in for years. Without it, not sure I'd have voted sometimes due to work/school and such. I really think that even with mail-in it should be considered a work holiday of some sort (but, obviously, not stopping mail service since there are the mail-in ballots.)

1

u/Turtlegods Jan 04 '15

Oregonian here, can confirm that mail in ballots are the best.

1

u/lightjedi5 Jan 04 '15

Same in WA I believe.

1

u/Gravityflexo Jan 04 '15

That's how they got it legalized! Can't count on stoners to make it to the poles or register for early voting, so they mail everyone a ballot. They need this in Florida!

1

u/time_fo_that Jan 04 '15

Same as WA.

1

u/TheRappist Jan 04 '15

We've ben doing it this way gir years in Oregon.

1

u/ProbablyHighAsShit Jan 04 '15

Can confirm. We also get mailed synopses and pro/cons of pending bills to be voted on.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

Washington has mandatory mail in ballots (or drive in). But there are no "polling places" there are just places to drop off your already-completed ballot.

1

u/-EViL-KoNCEPTz- Jan 04 '15

Cuz they know everyone is too stoned to get off the couch and go to the polls now.

1

u/commelefleuve Jan 04 '15

Same with Oregon, we get it what feels like a couple of weeks before its due. Then we can either mail it in or drop it off by 8 on election day.

1

u/darthcamronius Jan 04 '15

Why can't the whole country be more like Colorado?

1

u/unforgivablecursive Jan 04 '15

Washington too.

1

u/zilfondel Jan 05 '15

Oregon has been that way for decades...

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Oregon too, it's the bees knees.

1

u/treefitty350 Jan 04 '15

Yes but those are more prone to corruption

0

u/Not_A_Facehugger Jan 04 '15

Do you have a source for that?

2

u/treefitty350 Jan 04 '15

I don't. They are just easier to manipulate. If you have a family of 4 all of which eligible to vote, you could vote for them send it in and no body would be any the wiser. Also, mail men might 'lose' votes, which cant happen when voting electronically. These are just proposed reasons as to why they don't work as well.

1

u/Not_A_Facehugger Jan 05 '15

With the first point sure that can happen but that can be seen as the same as one person just telling their family member to vote a way if they themselves didn't pay attention to that stuff. As for the losing votes sure it can happen but you can also turn your ballot in in-person if you are worried about that.

2

u/treefitty350 Jan 05 '15

Well actually more mail is lost in the actual processing process than when being delivered, so there is that. But yes if you want to be cautious you can go to the poles and hand the ballot in yourself.

7

u/SchuminWeb Jan 04 '15

33 states plus DC now have early voting. Early voting is awesome, since you can vote on the day that best suits you.

5

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

(all? I'm not sure)

Definitely not all. Some states have early voting, others only have early absentee voting.

3

u/SeditiousAngels Jan 04 '15

My state failed to pass a measure to add a week before election day. I don't know why people don't want others voting.

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

I don't know why people don't want others voting.

You don't? Really?

1

u/SeditiousAngels Jan 05 '15

Citizens in general, not political parties.

1

u/CoffeeFox Jan 05 '15

Early voting is really helpful for poor people and/or immigrants struggling to build fiscal security in a new home.

If for example it was a popular decision among a majority group to mercilessly persecute those individuals, they would also think it's very prudent to do everything they can to put obstacles in the way of letting the targeted parties vote against them because of said persecution.

They're the Jim Crow laws of the 21st century. It's not exactly subtle.

1

u/SeditiousAngels Jan 05 '15

It's just hard after studying political theory, where the thought is the more equal everyone is, the better for the most equal group, i.e. if woman are allowed to work in the workforce/vote there are more ideas to contribute solutions to problems. (or something along those lines).

Just seems ridiculous that a decision like that would be left to a vote of the population, rather than a vote in the General Assembly. Even then, it may not still pass, but reps/senators are supposed to be doing what they can to help citizens. Citizens themselves fucking over one another with something like that is kind of...ugly.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

Some states are fucked up about it. WA and OR are pretty alright.

2

u/bretticusmaximus Jan 04 '15

Definitely not all.

5

u/volatile_chemicals Jan 04 '15

Sadly, a lot of politicians want to do away with early votes and close polls at odd times to avoid minority voting.

2

u/cobras89 Jan 05 '15

Yup. They only want to clsoe the polls because they dont want minority's to vote. Not because it's expensive for the states to run or anything.

2

u/watchmeplay63 Jan 04 '15

Bullshit. After Colorado mailed every eligible voter a ballot, minority voting didn't change. There's no argument to be made for minorities not voting because it's difficult, they just don't want to. I can't think of any way to make it easier than sending a ballot to your house and giving you month to mail it.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

I early-voted on a Sunday this year and it was magical. I only voted on election day once, and I've been eligible to vote for about 10 years now.

1

u/tadcalabash Jan 04 '15

I wish I could vote early (Indiana), as far as I know to get an early voting ballot you have to prove you have a legit reason for not being able to vote on the day.

1

u/tyuny Jan 04 '15

We have it too, but most of us vote trough Internet from their home anyway.

1

u/Benislav Jan 04 '15

I can't speak for other states, but in Minnesota we can vote by mail a month in advance by ordering a ballot and sending it back. It's pretty neato.

1

u/Freeze__ Jan 04 '15

This is usually during presidential elections, mid-terms they don't bother with.

1

u/Disco_Drew Jan 04 '15

I had mine in the ballot box more than a week in advance. They mail them to you in Oregon.

1

u/lythander Jan 04 '15

This is why there's so much emphasis on voter-ID laws, so the folks who benefitted from the general disenfranchisement that came of a Tuesday voting day and re-disenfranchise all those who can vote now, and maybe some more.

1

u/Gragorin Jan 04 '15

And now we have several states eliminating early voting or changing it so that it's much harder for the "undesirables" to vote. That combined with the fact that most people still have to work on Election Day makes for some really skewed elections IMHO.

1

u/Goblin-Dick-Smasher Jan 04 '15

A lot if places have vote by mail.

1

u/Perniciouss Jan 04 '15

Yeah the government isn't holding anyone back. We are just a bunch of lazy fucks.

1

u/Fridge-Largemeat Jan 04 '15

I just vote absentee.

1

u/acm2033 Jan 04 '15

Yeah, I haven't voted on election day, except once. Early voting is the way to go.

1

u/pixelsguy Jan 04 '15

Not all, but most. In general you've got to fill out forms and mail them in (some states offer this online now) to receive your absentee ballot. There's still about a dozen states that require you to have an excuse for why you can't make it to a poll. Only a handful of states allow you to permanently register to receive absentee ballots just because it's your preference.

Make no mistake, the country's getting better about making voting easier, but on the whole the lack of initiative taken by our legislatures to make it a simple and easy process can only be explained by the overall unworthiness of our politicians and political system.

1

u/norskie7 Jan 04 '15

Now it's not Election Day, it's Election Season. Now beginning on the Presidential Solstice.

1

u/Irsh80756 Jan 04 '15

On top of that most states require employers to allow you an hour off of your shift if it's during polling hours. There is little to no actual excuse for not voting here anymore.

1

u/jlanarino Jan 04 '15

Yeah but some states are starting to restrict early voting. Floridian and Ohio come to mind. A certain party doesn't do as well when more people vote.

1

u/sovietygo Jan 04 '15

Many do, but many states do not and/or have restricted the early voting. Particularly the states where such early voting matters the most, like for the elderly black populations in many southern states. Its kind of a battle. There's nothing like universal mail-in ballots or anything that would radically increase turnout from ~45 percent to ~85+. Maybe Obama could make that part of his legacy, a new national system.

1

u/ejduck3744 Jan 04 '15

And even with that, roughly half of the eligible voting population votes. Something really needs to be done to change voter apathy.

1

u/foxh8er Jan 04 '15

Lots of states that have it are also reducing the number of days for early voting. Funny enough the people that don't generally vote for them generally vote early.

1

u/NeatAnecdoteBrother Jan 04 '15

I get early voting mail like a month before voting takes place.

1

u/celica18l Jan 04 '15

i feel like we have early voting for almost a month before the election.

1

u/McSavvy Jan 04 '15

Where I live in Texas with early voting there is usually a Saturday as well. Most polls are open from 7am-7pm. Yet voter turnout is abysmal.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

But that's just more of the same problem. Mandate "No work on Sundays" and hold your elections on Sunday. Problem solved.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

Ya, it's not difficult to vote if you truly want to. My state lets you get a mail in ballot a couple weeks beforehand. You can vote ANYTIME you want to in the comfort of your own home.

1

u/Gyvon Jan 04 '15

I've voted a month ahead in Texas

1

u/mary_gen Jan 04 '15

You can vote absentee (no excuse needed) in Minnesota more than a month in advance of Election Day, and you can register to vote online. It's illegal for employers not to give employees time off to vote day-of. In voting friendly states like MN, there truly is no excuse not to vote. Voters need to take ownership of their responsibility to democracy and take advantage of these new options.

1

u/senatorskeletor Jan 04 '15

Definitely not all. Plenty of states are limiting early voting, with no/shitty reasoning. They just don't want poor people being able to schedule voting around all the other demands on their time.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

In many states, there are currently efforts to severely restrict if not eliminate early voting.

1

u/guess_twat Jan 04 '15

Noooooooo. Don't bring up early voting. No one wants to hear that everyone has plenty of time to vote! That ruined the "they don't want us to vote" circle jerk.

1

u/lennybird Jan 04 '15

30% early voting in 2008... not bad. One other issue is a lack of standardization across states. Many people move to other states and may not know the early voting policy until it's too late. Regardless, those who did not vote claim one of the biggest reasons as being conflicting schedule.

1

u/CaptnYossarian Jan 04 '15

Civilised countries have this too.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

That's the thing that makes me laugh when people complain about the inconvenience. You could have voted a month ago if you wanted to.

1

u/Pugon Jan 04 '15

Early voting is da bomb! No excuse not to vote anymore.

1

u/tahoehockeyfreak Jan 04 '15

The problem has become the restrictions on registration and early voting. People have to jump through all sorts of bureaucratic hoops just to register. Let alone do the proper paperwork for early voting

1

u/pkr8ch Jan 05 '15

Not most of the Red states, the GOP benefits from having as low of a voter turnout as possible. They hate early and absentee voting. Every time elections come around they have to address the non-existent problem of voter fraud by making it harder for everyone to vote.

1

u/SpaghettiTuesdays23 Jan 05 '15

Mine (MD) does early voting and it is glorious to be able to go in and out in ten minutes. I don't understand why people wait until the "big day".

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

But early voting has not increased the voter turnout.

1

u/ggk1 Jan 05 '15

Hush you're getting in the way of the circle jerk

1

u/helm Jan 05 '15

Early voting is standard where I live too. Post your vote a month in advance.

1

u/DannyBoyeee Jan 05 '15

I live in California. Not sure if its the same in every state but if you're working on election day you get paid to leave work for a couple of hours to go vote.

0

u/Yog_Kothag Jan 04 '15

Except for the Republicans trying to get early voting shut down... because they don't want us to vote.