SCAREDY CATS
What are Virginia Delegates really afraid of?
Mindful of the problems that home-schooling mothers have in hauling their children to the polls on election day, Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, R-Fairfax, introduced a bill to allow the mothers to cast absentee ballots.
Cuccinelli said mothers whose children are at a regular school have an easier time getting away.
Some committee members said they sympathized with home-schooling but couldn’t vote for Cuccinelli’s bill because they have rejected several attempts to expand absentee balloting. The bill failed on a voice vote.
Del. Lacey E. Putney, I-Bedford, the committee chairman, repeated his warnings that expanded absentee balloting could lead to voter fraud.
A Senate-passed bill that would allow people 75 or older to cast absentee ballots also failed. The sponsor, Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, D-Arlington, said people 75 or older tend to have some form of disability.
Del. Frank D. Hargrove Sr., R-Hanover, who is 78, said, “I don’t have any trouble. I ride my motorcycle to the polls. If you raised the age to 105, I would vote for it.”
It failed on a 10-7 vote.
I don’t think home educating moms need any special preferences; there are lots of folks that have difficulties getting to the polls. That being said, other states have dramatically loosened their absentee requirements in recent years. I don’t think any state has had any problems with fraud associated with absentee voting.
And Del. Hargrove needs to be retired if he has so little sympathy for seniors who are incapable of riding a motorcycle. What a jerk!
7 Responses to “SCAREDY CATS”
 Comment by Chris February 19th, 2005 at 9:15 am |
How long until PETA speaks out against home educators? |
 Comment by Andrea February 19th, 2005 at 9:47 am |
Why would they? It seems to me that a larger percentage of home educators are vegetarian than in the general public. At least in my homeschool group. |
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Comment by Tim Haas February 19th, 2005 at 10:13 am |
Chris, I bet you meant your comment for the “No Nickel” post. |
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Comment by Chris February 19th, 2005 at 10:58 am |
Yep, wrong post – feel free to delete it. |
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Comment by traci February 19th, 2005 at 3:08 pm |
I actually think it’s important to take our kids w/ us to vote. They need to see that their parents care enough to voice their choice in how to run our government. My parents always took me to the polls. It really made an impression on me. I feel that elected officials have a duty to represent those that elected them. |
 Comment by Stephanie February 20th, 2005 at 2:27 pm |
Shoot. If the lines are long I arrange for a friend to watch the kids. If the lines are short they go with me and learn about voting. I’d be better helped out if someone would start a service to deliver groceries to my door. Absentee grocery shopping is far more useful to me than absentee ballots. |
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Comment by Daryl Cobranchi February 20th, 2005 at 3:08 pm |