Letter: Early voting may inhibit late mudslinging

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Friday, Oct. 22, 2004 | 7:16 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

October 23 - 24, 2004

While I adore Sun columnist Jon Ralston and appreciate the purity of his passions, I think he is shortsighted on the matter of early voting.

True, when we cast our votes early we miss out on last-minute breaking news, but what does that really do? It forces those who would hold on to disparaging information about candidates to release it earlier, allowing the electorate to hear the rebuttals and diminish the potential for outright lies to be dropped on the day before the election when candidates would have no opportunity to defend themselves from baseless attacks.

It has made for a lengthy election season of mudslinging, but I would rather receive this barrage of mud in the weeks leading up to the election instead of hearing the ambushes on Nov. 1 and be left questioning their veracity.

DEBORAH BARTON