EDITORIAL – U.S. presidential election shows the folly of early-voting rules

Posted on November 8, 2016 in Columns, Rothenburger // 0 Comments

How soon is too soon to vote?

An ArmchairMayor editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

AMERICANS go to the polls today to elect a president. At least some of them do.

Some won’t vote at all (between 80 and 100 million, according to some estimates), but more than 40 million have already voted.

Various states have been voting for several weeks — up to 50 days before election day. Many are allowed to vote by mail. In most states, no excuse is needed for voting early. Vote when you feel like it.

Despite the ease of voting in the U.S., it has one of the worst turnout records in the developed world, usually just over 50 per cent. (Canada’s turnout in the 2015 federal election was 68 per cent).

Early “advance” voting is allowed in Canada so that if you’re going to be out of the country on election day, for example, you can still vote.

But there are problems with early voting. By definition, anyone casting an early ballot has less information on which to make a decision than someone waiting until election day.

A lot can happen in 50 days, and in the U.S. election, a lot did. Hillary Clinton, sailing ahead of Donald Trump, was suddenly hit with an announcement by FBI director James B. Comey that the bureau was investigating some new third-party emails in connection with her private-server screwup.

Suddenly, Trump was making impressive gains on Clinton. Millions voted thinking Clinton was in legal trouble.

Then, this past weekend, the FBI announced Clinton was once again cleared of any wrong-doing. Those who hadn’t yet voted had information that early voters didn’t.

Will it impact the outcome of the election? We’ll know later today (Nov. 8, 2016).

In Canada, where we have only a handful of advance voting days, we agonize over low voter turnout and argue over ways to make it better, whether it be changing the voting system entirely or finding ways to entice more people to exercise their privilege.

If ever a thought is given to extending early voting here, the experience in the U.S. proves not only that it doesn’t work as far as turnout goes, but that it’s also dangerous.

mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.