My Vote is Cast!: Poly Exit Poll/Polling Experience

[Guynemer]

Just got back. My voting location is right here in my neighborhood, so I was able to walk there. Overall, a weird experience:

The polling place is a Catholic church and school (!). Thus, in the room itself, you are surrounded by crosses and maps of "The Holy Land, Then And Now." Sort of an odd place to vote if you're atheist.

I was immediately asked by the poll workers if Colbert/Stewart were, indeed real candidates, because if so I'd have to cover up my shirt.

I was behind a woman in line who appeared to be a meth addict, had not brought any ID, after signing the log book and receiving her ticket immediately asked if she could leave and come back later to vote, constantly danced from one foot to the another, and just generally gave me a case of the creeping willies. I may have picked up scabies just by standing behind her.

I stood in line a solid 40 minutes once I arrived; the line wasn't out the door or anything, but there were only 5 voting machines. Which is actually an improvement, as there were 4 machines there in '06, and back in '04 when I lived in a different area of Columbus there were only 2 machines, and I was in line for 2 hours outside in the rain.

Given that I didn't know **** about any of the judge races, I voted only in the one where a guy named Dingus was running, as I had seen his flyers that said, "Bring us Dingus," and I thought, well, that's gotta be worth something. Voted for all the municipal issues and state amendments (please, God, let #6 pass, I want a casino). For (almost) everything else, I voted Democrat. First time I've ever done that, actually.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I voted only in the one where a guy named Dingus was running, as I had seen his flyers that said, "Bring us Dingus," and I thought, well, that's gotta be worth something.

But on the other hand, you complain about uninformed voters

[Guynemer]

Well, that's not entirely true. I actually have heard a few things about him, a former prosecutor but also a liberal; that sealed it right there.

When I was in college, I knew a guy named Peter Handler. Seriously. And where he grew up, apparently, nobody made the connection. When he got to Ann Arbor, it was all over. But he ran for student government, posting flyers that read, "Peter Handler: get a grip on your student government" above the urinals in the lecture hall men's rooms. He won big.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Guynemer

I was immediately asked by the poll workers if Colbert/Stewart were, indeed real candidates, because if so I'd have to cover up my shirt.

[Velociryx]

Originally posted by Guynemer
Well, that's not entirely true. I actually have heard a few things about him, a former prosecutor but also a liberal; that sealed it right there.

When I was in college, I knew a guy named Peter Handler. Seriously. And where he grew up, apparently, nobody made the connection. When he got to Ann Arbor, it was all over. But he ran for student government, posting flyers that read, "Peter Handler: get a grip on your student government" above the urinals in the lecture hall men's rooms. He won big.

Inspired!

-=Vel=-

[Donegeal]

I was voter #185 for ward 17 in the city of Janesville Wisconsin. There were about 5 wards voting at the elementry school, with mine being the slowest. I'd bet that by 8:30 (I was there for around 10-15 minutes), that I was probably about the 1000 voter at the polling station. Not bad for a city of 60,000 with about 5 or 6 places to vote.

[OzzyKP]

My day began watching MSNBC and CNN for election coverage. Watching Obama take like 15 minutes to fill out his ballot (yikes, is the IL ballot that complicated, or was he just taking his time knowing the cameras were on him?) Funny note during the show, Bill Ayers came in to vote at the same polling place like 20 minutes before Obama did.

I then (once I got my internet working) went online to do some research on the school board candidates. One district I decided pretty much solely on the fact that one wanted to include discussion of homosexuality & contraception in sex ed , and the other didn't . The other school board seat I decided partly based on that, partially cause the incumbent (one of the few Republicans in local government in the county, and a guy I usually vote for) seems to just be a total ******* and is said to have beaten up a fellow Republican candidate over some financial issues.

I voted at 9:30 this morning down at the elementary school I usually vote at. Usually the polling location is fairly sleepy, I'd never stood behind 2-3 people before voting. This time they had a bit of a line, maybe 20-25 people. Of course I usually go in the middle of the day and today I went earlier, so that could be a factor too.

It was fairly painless. I changed my party affiliation there when I checked in, the poll worker didn't seem too informed about how to do it (though I've seen her at past elections) but with some help she figured it out fairly quickly. I change my party affiliation based on which primary I want to vote in, and typically here in Maryland the democratic primaries are more interesting. I just switched to the GOP this year so I could vote for Ron Paul, but I just switched back today in preparation for the next set of primaries.

I talked a bit with one of the guys in charge and he said that at 9:30 am they had already seen half the number of voters who voted in 2004. He figures we'll have record turnout.

I went in to vote and it took me all of 20 seconds to cast my ballot on the touch screen. Honestly I think half the reason there are back-ups and delays at voting booths is because people just take too damn long voting. It isn't that complicated.

I voted for Bob Barr for President and a Libertarian candidate for US House. Some judge elections were unopposed, so I just voted for the incumbent. Other judge elections asked whether X Judge should serve another term or not, and I voted no on both of those. Anti-incumbent motivation.

Most importantly, I voted for all four ballot measures. The first one allowed early voting in the state, a very good idea to allow more people a chance to vote. The second statewide measure, and the more controversial one, is to allow slots in the state. I voted yes, since the budget is a mess, and I'd much rather have slots than more taxes.

The first county ballot measure just removes some parts from the county charter that were invalidated by a court for conflicting with state law. Seemed like a housecleaning measure, so sure. The last one was a requirement that the county council vote unanimously in order to raise taxes. I voted yes for this as well.

Then I got my sticker.

My girlfriend said it was mad chaos voting down in DC. Long lines, poll workers shouting at people, pushing, everything very confusing and hectic. Lots of frustrated people. Maryland was smooth sailing though.

[Lancer]

Bring us Dingus!

[Zkribbler]

I cast an absentee ballot.

It's much more convenient but I really miss my "I voted" sticker. I put it in my sig, but it's just not the same.

[snoopy369]

If you vote in every one of the judicial recall elections, then yes, it is that complicated (about 35 judges you vote yes/no on every one of, and not in a logical order). He would presumably want to vote on every single one. I took around 5 minutes to vote (and vote on the same ballot Obama votes on, by the way, as we're in the same ward/congressional district) but I didn't vote in the recall/retain elections, as I don't know the judges. The election judges noted how fast I finished ...

[Makahlua]

Wow, so much drama (almost) everywhere else.

I just popped over to the same place I've been voting in for the past few elections, and had no line at all. And then I got to vote for a senator, 11 billion judges & the county sherriff; I voted against a couple of the judges & picked a 3rd party in the senate race because I was tired of being spammed with their damn TV ads and phone calls AND junk mail flyers Way to not get the vote, fellas & gals. I was apparently #287 so far today, but this area tends to vote after working hours (hence why I've learned to go early)

Now it's just sit back and check the TV/'net every so often to see whom our next Fearless Leader is.

PS Can someone tell my Mom to quit cancelling me out in the President race? After all she did vote for Nixon back in '72

[MarkG]

facebook claims 2mil of its 100mil users have voted

http://www.facebook.com/election08/

how are they supposed to be counting?

[rah]

And you would have voted for George McGovern who totaled like 17 electoral votes that year?


I'm happy to say that I voted for Nixon that year also. It was my first presidential election.

[MarkG]

ah, apparently there is a "i've voted" link which i dont see cause i'm not in the us...

[Ming]

I just voted, and it took about 5 minutes. Since I'm not in Cook County, we had FAR less judges to vote for. It was strange this morning when I went to do my normal research on the judges, and saw that one of them was an old high school buddy (Hey rah, I hope you voted to retain Kip Starck)

They said the lines were long this morning, but I walked right in and out. They claim voter turn out was really good... which I appreciate since we had some good local elections.