Why do Non-Floridians Give a Rat's-Ass About Florida's Early Voting?

First of all, in the interest in fairness and disclosure, I need to state that I identify myself publicly ...as in registered...as a Republican. I don't vote party line and I like to make up my own mind, it is just that ends up more often being on the Republican side of things than the Democrat side.

Usually though, when I'm pissed about politics it isn't about sides so much.

I was reading online today about the Democrats in Florida asking to have early voting extended because they were doing so well at the polls.  The article, obviously biased on the side of Democrats, stated  essentially they were killing it at the polls at the last election, so the Republican State Congress dicked them over by reducing the time for early voting, having it end Saturday.  Now the Democrats are declaring early voting a success and want the Governor to extend the voting.  The article went on to say that they liked early voting because they could get voters in easier because they could get multiple attempts to persuade them to vote.


This kind of activity really pisses me off, and I don't care which side is doing it.  Back before the election some rules changes were made.  Democrats....Republicans....doesn't matter here.  A rule concerning voting was made.  That rule is now in effect and one side is wanting a change to the rule outside of the due process in order to benefit their party.  Seriously?!  While I don't really believe exit polls, I wonder what the ruckus would be if the Republicans wanted to shut down part of the voting process.....while it was happening.  Imagine if the Republicans got all their folks to vote in the first few days of early voting and then they shut it down.  Imagine the uproar then.

I'm sure there are some seriously messed up rules with regards to voting out there.  I've heard a little about requiring state-issued ID cards being a problem.  I personally have no problem with this ruling, but that is because I don't see it as being a problem.  The real problem is that if you are going to require a state-issued ID to vote, then there should be a corresponding effort to get people state-issued ID cards.  States get to set their own rights and responsibilities when it comes to voting and unless you are a citizen of that state I think you should generally butt out.  I think it completely recockulous that Maine and Vermont allow felons to vote.....from prison, but I live in a different state so I don't care about their state's rules.  Yes, I know some think that we should Federalize these elections, but since we don't use a popular vote anyway the electoral college system works with states establishing their own rules.

Federalize elections and then we can take a vested interest in these issues from the other side of the continent.

The issues I'm seeing that are the ones cheesing me off, are those that are last-minute attempts to garner and advantage for one party or another.  This is partisan politics at its worst.