1.  When will President and Mrs. Obama vote?

2.  What is President and Mrs. Obama's motive for voting early?

3.  What is significant about the president's decision to vote early?

4.  What does the AP reporter say is the Obama campaign's motive for the early voting strategy?

5.  The New York Times reports: The "Obama campaign [is making an] aggressive push for early voting, [because] the campaign believes it favors [Mr. Obama] over the Romney campaign due to its extensive field operation in several of the states that permit early voting."

Read the "Background" under the questions.  Why isn't the Romney campaign concerned that early voting may disproportionately benefit the president?

6.  The editors of National Review write:

"An estimated 40% of this year's votes will be cast ahead of Election Day - sometimes nearly two months ahead. There is no evidence that early voting significantly increases turnout, but it definitely makes fraud easier. And it encourages hasty decisions and decreases voters' ability to react to late developments.

Where early voting is allowed, it should be done in person and start no earlier than the weekend before Election Day. Absentee ballots should be available only to those genuinely unable to go to the polls.

That way, voting will remain an important event, with a special, anticipated day set aside for it..."

Do you think the editors make a strong argument against early voting?  Explain your answer.

7.  a)  What type of early voting and/or absentee voting does your state allow?  View a map that shows the type of voting each state offers at:
ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/absentee-and-early-voting.aspx
b)  Do you think early voting improves or damages the election process?  Explain your answer.
c)  Should citizens be able to vote by absentee ballot if they have no problem voting on election day?  Why or why not?
d)  List one positive aspect and one negative aspect that you see for early voting.