Does Washington state have an illegal poll tax?

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

Apparently you have to pay for a stamp to vote by mail there, it's not postage paid.

I vote yes and I'd sue if I lived there. Same thing if Oregon does it the same way.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

If they were smart, they'd allow drop offs on election day.

[frihetsivrare]

No, Washington voters may drop off their ballots on election day.   

[Chief Justice PiT]

No, Washington voters may drop off their ballots on election day.   

     I'm curious, but where do they drop off their ballots?

[Alcon]

If they were smart, they'd allow drop offs on election day.

We do.  All counties allow them dropped off at the County Elections office, most have additional drop-off locales, and (in King + Pierce) you can bring them to any polling place.  Admittedly, it's less convenient in rural areas than it could be and most people use mail.  Especially since, well, gas is a regressive tax anyway...

But, yes, this is stupid.  Voter registration forms are postage-paid.  It'd only be about $1.3 million.  Mostly it discourages passive voters, which is a shame to me.  Calling it a "poll tax" is a bit excessive.  Minnesota seems to have a Washington hang-up.  Beach jealousy?

But, anyway, I actually agree with BRTD here.  Except it's not an "illegal poll tax," haha.  That's really a slap in the face to people who had to go through actual poll taxes/literacy tests, Zach, shame.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Stupid?  Yes.  Poll tax?  No.

[Meeker]

Only in the same sense that Minnesota has a poll tax because voters have to drive to the polls or pay for bus fair.

Voter registration forms are postage-paid.

?

This is news to me, and I'm holding a stack of them right now.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

Only in the same sense that Minnesota has a poll tax because voters have to drive to the polls or pay for bus fair.

I have never driven to or taken a bus to a polling place. I've walked to the polls every time I've ever voted. My current polling place is a 5 minute walk away.

[Meeker]

Only in the same sense that Minnesota has a poll tax because voters have to drive to the polls or pay for bus fair.

I have never driven to or taken a bus to a polling place. I've walked to the polls every time I've ever voted. My current polling place is a 5 minute walk away.

And does everyone in your state do that or have the ability to?

[Alcon]

You're right about the registration forms.  No idea what I was thinking.

Only in the same sense that Minnesota has a poll tax because voters have to drive to the polls or pay for bus fair.

I have never driven to or taken a bus to a polling place. I've walked to the polls every time I've ever voted. My current polling place is a 5 minute walk away.

So, instead of the poor, your poll tax affects those who live rurally.  Right...

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

Only in the same sense that Minnesota has a poll tax because voters have to drive to the polls or pay for bus fair.

I have never driven to or taken a bus to a polling place. I've walked to the polls every time I've ever voted. My current polling place is a 5 minute walk away.

And does everyone in your state do that or have the ability to?

Those who live in cities do.

The point though is at least I and many others don't have to pay anything in Minnesota. In Washington I would. That's another reason I'm strongly opposed to vote by mail.

[Meeker]

Only in the same sense that Minnesota has a poll tax because voters have to drive to the polls or pay for bus fair.

I have never driven to or taken a bus to a polling place. I've walked to the polls every time I've ever voted. My current polling place is a 5 minute walk away.

And does everyone in your state do that or have the ability to?

Those who live in cities do.

The point though is at least I and many others don't have to pay anything in Minnesota. In Washington I would. That's another reason I'm strongly opposed to vote by mail.

No, you could walk to the drop box.

Also, if you do stick a ballot in the mail without a stamp, they deliver it anyways.

[Alcon]

Not to mention, I bet the gas costs for traveling to the polling place in Minnesota add up to be higher than the stamp costs here, since I bet most people don't walk to the polls.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

Not to mention, I bet the gas costs for traveling to the polling place in Minnesota add up to be higher than the stamp costs here, since I bet most people don't walk to the polls.

I doubt it, a majority of the population lives in the metro, and in the larger cities outstate you can also walk to the polls, I did in Mankato after all (which is where I've voted in the vast majority of elections. The only election I've voted in since moving to Minneapolis was the caucus.) Metro + Duluth + Rochester + St. Cloud + Mankato + Moorhead = sizable majority of the state. And no doubt many people are in walking distance even in the smaller cities and even small towns.

[Alcon]

I doubt it, a majority of the population lives in the metro, and in the larger cities outstate you can also walk to the polls, I did in Mankato after all (which is where I've voted in the vast majority of elections. The only election I've voted in since moving to Minneapolis was the caucus.) Metro + Duluth + Rochester + St. Cloud + Mankato + Moorhead = sizable majority of the state. And no doubt many people are in walking distance even in the smaller cities and even small towns.

But do they walk?  I bet plenty don't.

For instance, in Washington, King and Pierce still have polling places.  That's nearly 50% of the population alone.  But 90%+ of King/Pierce voters vote by mail...by choice.

Besides, you just need one person who has to spend a few bucks in gas to get to the polling place to make up for 10+ vote-by-mail ballots in Washington state.  Simple mathematics.  The burden is upon you to prove that the average voter in Minnesota doesn't pay 40 cents in gas or more to go to the polls.  Does that seem like a ridiculously out-there assertion?  It doesn't, to me, with current gas prices.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

Gas in Minnesota right now is about $3.60/gallon, which is higher than it's been during any voting and almost certainly higher than it'll be in November (no, not due to some pro-Republican conspiracy by the oil companies but the market cycle, it's always lower in November than the summer.) But even at $3.60/gallon, $.40 is more than 10% of a gallon. Are polling places in a majority of the state THAT far away? Besides, the idiots who drive when they can easily walk (It would be FAR more inconvenient for me to walk out to my car, start it up, drive 3 blocks over, find another parking place, and then walk to the polling place, vote and drive back, than to simply walk to the polling place directly.) choose to do so.

[Alcon]

Gas in Minnesota right now is about $3.60/gallon, which is higher than it's been during any voting and almost certainly higher than it'll be in November (no, not due to some pro-Republican conspiracy by the oil companies but the market cycle, it's always lower in November than the summer.) But even at $3.60/gallon, $.40 is more than 10% of a gallon. Are polling places in a majority of the state THAT far away? Besides, the idiots who drive when they can easily walk (It would be FAR more inconvenient for me to walk out to my car, start it up, drive 3 blocks over, find another parking place, and then walk to the polling place, vote and drive back, than to simply walk to the polling place directly.) choose to do so.

Well, King County apparently has paid-postage ballots.  So, when you factor that in...I doubt we are looking at an extravagantly higher price, on average, vs. Minnesota.

You could also argue that the burden upon individuals being higher in a modal distribution (that is, the highest cost would be in Minnesota, while in Washington it's uniform) could be unfair in itself.

[minionofmidas]

No. Since postal voting is also available in Minnesota, those for whom driving to vote would be more expensive can vote by postal ballot, and nobody has to pay more than in Washington.

Of course, lots of people have to pay the same amount... (unless we assume that anybody *can* walk, they'll just have to take the whole day off and put on their hiking boots. )

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

Though not directly related, it's also worth noting vote by mail makes vote buying a lot easier.

[minionofmidas]

Though not directly related, it's also worth noting vote by mail makes vote buying a lot easier.

...not to mention totally destroys the notion of the secrecy of the vote.

I *really* don't think governments passing out postal ballots to just anybody (nevermind forcing them to use them) should be allowed.

[Alcon]

...not to mention totally destroys the notion of the secrecy of the vote.

Honestly, so does polling, at least the way we do it.  All you have to remember is the sequence of voters.  It drops into the machine in that order.

[Meeker]

Though not directly related, it's also worth noting vote by mail makes vote buying a lot easier.

... and there have been no recorded cases of that occurring.

[CultureKing]

There are hundreds of drop box locations in Washington state if a voter chooses to use them. Fire stations, schools and other public buildings are used as locations for drop boxes. In Thurston county alone there are about 25 drop box locations and Thurston is a pretty small county geographically. People love voting by mail and it saves the state a good amount of money. Also as was stated earlier even if you don't put postage on the ballot it still gets mailed.

[Meeker]

I find it very interesting that thus far those who have actually experience vote-by-mail strongly support it, whilst those who have no to very little experience with it whatsoever are the ones opposed.