So what do we think is going to happen as Election Day unfolds?
As we've mentioned in class, the one thing likely to effect events on Election Day more than any other is Hurricane Sandy. The devastation wrought by the storm is likely to lengthen the election period somewhat. Some counties in the state of New York are reportedly considering allowing voters to cast their ballots on Wednesday if voter turnout on Election Day (Tuesday) is below 25% of the state's population (see link below). This would give voters in the state (who would theoretically still be incapacitated due to the storm's effect on their normal day-to-day lives) an extra day to make up for possibly not being able to get to the polls on time. This makes me think of our in-class discussion of Election Night coverage on the major news networks, and how hearing that (for example) "Obama has won" when the East Coast polls have closed could result in West Coast voters not going out at all, and end up making Obama lose (in this example).
Similarly, I wonder if New York voters will see this extension as a reason not to go out on Tuesday; this could almost become a self-fulfilling prophecy, guaranteeing an extra day for them to vote. However, the state's voters will want to be very careful about this decision if they are in an affected area, because it could lead to a potentially huge problem. If voters assume the extra day will be available and don't vote on Tuesday, but then their county either isn't granted an extra day by the State Board of Elections, or doesn't even apply, then they will have lost their chances to cast a ballot at all (you know what they say about assuming).
You can almost see the chaos unfolding, and the headlines describing it all: "New York Voters Unsure of Election Day Extension," "NY Voters Swarm After Last-Minute 'No Extension' Announcement, Five Trampled in NYC," "One Week Into 'New York Election Siege,' Presidential Results Still Unknown," etc. This might be a bit of an exaggeration, but don't forget all the hubbub surrounding the Florida controversy of 2000, and the ensuing recount of votes; people can go off the deep end if it seems that the democratic process might be at stake.
It's pretty amazing to think how all this Hurricane Sandy fallout might impact the election. One can only imagine what might have happened had the storm hit a week later... although the potential for delayed results due to unclear extensions/exemptions might be just as violent of a storm itself.
New York voting extension story:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/04/politics/new-york-vote-extension/index.html?hpt=po_c2
So interesting! I know since the beginning of the semester we've talked about how the weather will impact the results of the election, however nobody would think a huge natural distaster would hit just before the big day. It came at a very bad time, however it couldn't have come at a better time to test the candidates on how they would respond to a situation as devastating as this.
ReplyDeleteSince Sandy struck last week, most campaigning was put on hold, not only for safety, but for respect of the states suffering from the treacherous effects. In a normal election, the week before voting is extremely crucial. It's the candidate's last and final chance to win over the support of undecided voters. By not going out and getting those last minute votes, will that have an impact on everything? I believe yes.
The votes will also be impacted by people's thoughts on how the candidates react to a national crisis. I came across an interesting video explaining how Romney and Obama are responding to the hurricane and their campaign. Romney has continued to campaign but is telling people to go out and help. He also is refraining from making any attacks on the president who has been out showing support and aiding disaster victims. Voters will make judgements and voting decisions simply based on this past week of US history.
[Video: http://www.todaysthv.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1938185419001]
I think tomorrow will definitely be an interesting day for the US. How will our country's election be effected by a natural distaster, and how will the future president handle this? All will be answered once the votes are in!
You're so clearly in Dr. Leek's class, because she would totally buy the weather argument. I voted this morning in Maryland. It was bright and sunny, but cold. It didn't seem to affect turnout; I waited in line for an hour. I imagine that long lines may be a big influencer of turnout, too. Folks who see via their social media channels that lines are long may choose to stay home.
ReplyDeleteOn the morning of election day I was listening to NPR's Morning Edition on the way to campus and one of the corespondents asked a couple of New Yorkers on the street if they were going to vote and they responded with a prompt,"We have more important things to do than vote." New York was allotted affidavit ballots so that New Yorkers could vote at any polling place in the state but, was this enough to elude the aftermath of Sandy or could this have been handled more effectively?
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