FL...is it safer to vote by absentee ballot or go to the machines?

[Mend]

We just got our notices to request absentee ballots if we want them. We always go to the polling booths but we aren't sure our Democratic votes are being counted. Are absentee ballots any safer or are they going to toss them in the garbage? Harris is way behind in the polls. If she wins, it will be because of fraud....and that wouldn't surprise us.

[rzemanfl]

1. I don't trust the machines, but here in Pinellas they always seem

to "find" some uncounted absentee ballots after the election is over.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. We need a separate, independent way of counting our votes to ensure against cheating.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Go for the absentee paper ballot. At least there will be a paper trail.

[peace frog]

3. I wouldn't vote absentee in my county

for the previously stated reason: absentee ballots are too easily *lost*, then when *discovered* the election is well over and too damn late to be counted.

On the other hand, voting in one's local precinct is no guarantee of being accurately recorded either. Guess we're just fucked, folks.

[3waygeek]

5. One way around that might be

to request a return receipt and/or use certified mail when mailing in your absentee ballot; that should at least prove that they received it. You should probably make a photocopy of your completed ballot, too.

[peace frog]

8. Thanks for the suggestion

but as you might guess, I'm deeply suspicious of the motives and actions of county and state election officials. Yes, we could do as you suggest and still our votes might be conveeeeeniently lost, overlooked, found too late to be counted, etc; nor would we know about the status until it's too late to do anything. It's fair to say that elected and appointed officials at all levels in FloriDUH are not to be trusted. I will NEVER forget 2000, nor should any other American.

[Warpy]

4. Get that absentee ballot

Voting with no way to check the result will result in more tyranny.

[flordehinojos]

6. i think we are damned or doomed either way here in broward county

where the bushes lackey brenda snipes is the supervisor of elections. many absentee ballots got lost in one of the supervisor of elections' drawer the last time. some did not get mailed out to the recipients on time, others ... i don't quite recall what the problem was but there were several other problems ... and of course, she or diebold control the machines.

[wiggs]

7. No. nt