I think this will be one of the longest election
days we have seen in American history, especially for voters in Florida. It will also be one of the flashiest. NBC has created a huge outline of the United States at
Rockefeller Center in New York City that will light up either blue or red for
the candidate that has won the state. Replicas of the white house briefing room
and oval office have been stationed nearby where visitors can have their
pictures taken. Microsoft realized the potential for huge publicity and set up
a caricature station where their new Fresh Paint app will be used to create a
picture of visitors alongside Romney or Obama.
As flashy as NBC may make it, this election has been
surrounded by controversy as its finale draws near. Early voting in Florida was
a major problem and many experts see it as eerily reminiscent of the 2000 election. As of 3:00 p.m,
Florida state governor Rick Scott refused to extend voting hours despite the
wait extending to six hours. I think this will have a huge impact on the
election because many people will be discouraged to vote if they have to wait
in lines for so long. Voter turnout in Florida and other key states will be
covered heavily by the media.
One of the main reasons people don’t vote in the
first place is because they don’t have the time. Florida remains a swing state
and every vote counts. It does not help that the normal period of 14 days to
vote early was shortened to only 8 by the predominantly Republican state government.
Scott refuses to see the problems despite hearing from Democrats, Independents,
and even a Republican elections supervisor who all asked that he extend hours.
So as Rockefeller Center is being lit up in red and blue, Floridians, along with probably a lot of voters along the east coast, will be wondering what it would have felt
to vote in this election at all.
Sources:
Thoughtful. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIs act of voting important anymore or is it the broadcast of voting that is most important? It is dolefully entertaining to see that elections have turned into a walk on the red carpet. Now we can take pictures in mock up oval offices, wait in line with flashing lights to stimulate and controversies to distract, but that is what it takes to keep the ever divided attention spans of the masses. This makes me muse on if voting has just become some ostentatious form of social entertainment where people can publicize their political views in heat of the moment accompanied by an immediate collapse of interest and enthusiasm after the climax of the story. Maybe I'm too cynical towards the system.
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