I don't understand..

[cannabis_flower]

If everyone voted by mail and it took a few extra days or even a week or two, why would that be so horrible? The president doesn't take office until January 20th.

[Miguelito Loveless]

1. Actually, it would be the cheapest, safest

and easiest way to vote. Ask any state doing it. I am sure that once it became universal, someone would find a way to undermine it, so "constant vigilance".

[cannabis_flower]

4. My question was slightly different

Why are people be so upset at the thought that we might not have the election results until a week or two after the election?

[Miguelito Loveless]

6. Because we live in a society that seems to expect "instant" answers

That said, if everything was vote by mail, you probably could have the results that night. You start tallying results at Midnight Election day, and then keep processing throughout the day. You do all of the ballot processing in a huge open room, with lots of cameras recording/streaming to the internet, and with room for in person observers.

Thus the process is completely transparent.

[vrguy]

2. Cannot suppress vote by mail.

n/t

[Hekate]

11. You can if you shut down the USPS. At this very moment the campaign contributor crony in charge

...has put forth new instructions to all USPS personnel: slow down, hand-sort, no overtime, clock out at the end of your shift, anything left over at day’s end is to be dumped back in the building.

This is going to work a real hardship on people who get their medications in the mail and people who expect their bills to come and go on time. Entities who get late payments from customers can get real pissy with the size of their late-fees.

The GOP in the Senate has been working to destroy the USPS for years. It was never intended to be a profit making business; it’s in the Constitution as a public service. Bear that in mind when a Republican politician says all wide-eyed that the PO just isn’t up to the modern era and that it all should be turned over to for-profit corporations like FedEx and UPS. I wonder how much they’ll charge to deliver your grandma’s birthday card?

[Hekate]

12. See this link re tripling the postage charge

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213859710

[democrattotheend]

3. The problem is

The way the media typically covers elections, they want to make calls on election night if they can, and most people expect a result on election night or at least some states being called. The danger is that if Trump declares victory based on election night results, Biden looks like a sore loser holding out for absentee ballots, and Trump and the Republicans, who have already been working to sow distrust in absentee ballots, will mount all sorts of challenges.

Even more worrisome is the prospect that many absentee ballots will actually not be counted due to the Postal Service not being able to handle the volume. As it is, USPS has been unable to meet demand in some places since the coronavirus crisis started. In some parts of Philadelphia, where I know from experience that USPS has always been a little spotty, people are now sometimes waiting three weeks for mail to arrive, including things they need like prescriptions. I don't think Democrats should be pushing vote by mail unless and until they are confident the Postal Service can handle it.

[lagomorph777]

5. It took a month in 2000.

Not that I was happy about it, but I expect any delays to be due to frivolous lawsuits from the Trump side, not from counting delays. I think all the ballots can be counted in a week or so. I'm fine with that.

[Hekate]

7. We have been conditioned by TV/cable news to expect instant gratification on the very night...

...of a presidential election. Push push push. It is one of the things that drove acceptance of the Bush v Gore decision — the perceived need to get it all over with, regardless.

Jeez, think of the hyperactive Steve Kornacki — he’d have a nervous breakdown if he had to actually wait a few weeks.

[Shermann]

10. I'm going to need to see me some John King and his Magic Wall! nt

[bobbieinok]

8. In 08 dem primary and 08 election Blitzer became frantic because results weren't ready at once!

It was insane!

His colleagues had to keep reminding him the vote counters needed to go slowly to be sure they were accurate!

[uppityperson]

9. Accuracy over speed. I agree. There ones who'd suffer are the media.