Thursday, October 27, 2005

You knew this was coming, didn't you?

Demos propose letting evacuees vote absentee through 2008:
Elections go on through rain or shine, so several Democrats figure a hurricane shouldn't stop people from voting either.
Death doesn't stop Democrats from voting as well, but tell me more.
Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., and Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., touted their bill Thursday that would allow evacuees of Hurricane Katrina to vote absentee in their home districts through the 2008 elections, regardless of where they move temporarily. They must first sign an affidavit indicating an intent to move back after the area is reconstructed.
On that basis, why don't we all get to file affadavits as to where we plan to be in 2008 and vote there? Just send me two ten spots or a case of Heineken and I'll say that I plan to move to New Orleans. I'm sure they won't be too hard on me when my plans change.
Election laws vary from state to state, but in most places, getting a job or buying a home somewhere else is legal proof that a voter has moved and that his registration should too.
Sounds right to me.
Davis said that's fine for people who intend to move permanently, but he believes hundreds of thousands of evacuees intend to return to Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama once they can. In that case, they should have the right to vote for the officials who will preside over the reconstruction, Davis said.
Me too, since I plan to be there too! FedEx my Heineken now!

There's more blather in the article including this remarkable observation by Senator Gidget:
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said it's an issue the country must confront in the event of future long-term evacuations, either from a natural disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake, or from a terrorist attack.

"If you don't make national provisions for this, you basically are impacting your democracy in a way that you don't want to at just the time you need to be seeing about what they think about this, where they want to go in the future," Landrieu said.
Easy for her to say, I'm sure.

Hmm, I wonder when we'll start hearing that they should get to vote both where they are and where they intend to be. After all, it would be unfair for them not to have a say in their current local conditions as well as their future home. Heck, no need to worry - if this joke passes they'll probably be registered in both places anyhow.