VOTE!

...



Despite the option of voting by mail in California, both Robb and I wanted to have the experience of going to the polling places today.




All you blog readers may not have figured it out yet, but we love when you leave comments on the blog. So tell us this, what was your voting experience?


Comments

Beach Gal said…
I took my 6 year old son with me to the polls today. I explained a bit about the process to him. He complained about how long it was taking (only 30 minutes by that time) and I told him that some people will wait in line for hours to vote. I also told him that in 12 years, he will be able to vote for the office of the President of the United States too! We had an inside waiting area and really only waited 45 minutes. A very pleasant experience, if I do say so myself!
Anonymous said…
I too, prefer to 'cast my vote' in person. And this year, my 7 year old asked if he could go to the polls with me! So rather than rushing out this morning in the rain to be the first one there, I will be anxiously waiting all day (or at least until 3 pm) until I pick up Dante and then we can go to the polls together.

I love your suffragist pictures-I hope it reminds people who might be on the fence about prop 8 that it wasn't too long ago that women didn't have equal rights, either. I think No on 8 in California is as important as our national election. But regardless, it is the process that is as important as the outcome, so please, VOTE!

scraphappy
Unknown said…
I also went to vote in person despite having the option to vote early. :)

I only had to stand in line for about two minutes to check in and then there was no wait for a booth. I did go just before 10am though, which is typically a pretty slow time. In 2004 I stood in line for 2 hours!
Anonymous said…
Quite often I feel the local and state measures are more important than the national ones. I've delayed moving so that I can vote on some issues!
I cast my ballot on Friday, watching kids trick-or-treating outside the library drop-off location. I'm grateful for the vote-ahead option that Oregon has. I get panicky going to the grocery store, I don't know how I'd handle the voting lines!
Anonymous said…
We have a new voting system here in CT this year. We go to the polling facility and go to a desk with sides (kind of like final jeopardy) and color in the bubble for who we want to vote for. Then we put the ballot in an optic scan machine (sounds like bubble tests in high school huh?), which scans them and stores them.

I only had to wait about five minutes or so.....gotta love that!
homeschoolmommy said…
I DID vote early, but only because it was early voting in person. I took my two kids with me and the whole time explained to my daughter how we filled in the bubbles and that we were deciding on the next president. She was then telling me who to vote for (I voted for who I wanted not who she wanted). On the way out a lady exclaimed. 'I thought there was school today" I replied "Yes there is school, we homeschool and this is part of their education. She proceeded to gush about what a good mom I was. :-)
Emily said…
While I did vote by mail, I made sure my 7 yo son knew what I was doing as I read the materials (always know what you're voting on!) and filled out my ballot. I have also explained why I will be out at the polls tonight, handing out some last minute info for NO on 8 (they have seen confusion in some of their advocates, where they though a yes on 8 was a yes for gay marriage, so they are trying to address that as people go in to vote). It is my first time doing something (besides casting my vote) to actively support a group during an election and I am glad my son is old enough to sort of get it...though he thought I said "bowling place" rather than "polling place" and he was a bit bummed that he wasn't going to get to go bowling with me...
It doesn't really seem real to me unless I go to my local polling place ON Election Day. None of this early voting stuff. :) So I went this morning and stood in line for an hour and a half to cast my vote. My only regret was that I didn't bring along my book to read.
Anonymous said…
Voted by mail on Saturday, it was nice, I felt like I could sit at the computer, and run through all of the propositions in detail.
Although I do like going to the polling place it was nice to be done early and tune out the most vigorous days of campaigning. Election fatigue has set in and I'm glad it's almost over.
Anonymous said…
Sorry for the lengthy post, but here are the impressions from me and from my sister.

From me:

Wow! The lines! There was a line at 6:45 am at Blanche Reynolds Elementary School in Ventura, my voting place. Plenty of time for me to brood about all the white hairs and soccer moms in line with me that were more than likely voting against abortion rights, gay marriage and Obama. Or maybe I'd be surprised, if I looked into their minds. When it was my turn, my name had a line through it -- indicating that I was a mail-only voter, even though I never asked for it. I ended up filling out a provisional ballot.

My "I voted" sticker entitles me to a donut here at work, but I don't know if I'll be able to eat, I am hoping so hard.

My sister, a lifetime resident of Cambridge, MA reports:

"Wow. My name wasn't on the roll of registered voters this morning, the biggest election of my lifetime. I sent in my census form, I voted in every election here since 1981, including this last primary, and my name was gone. The polling marshall asked for my license, gave me an alternative ballot, and said, "This has been happening a lot." If this can happen in the people's republic, what is it like in Pa, Ohio, Fla, NM, Arizona, etc?

The line at 7:03 am was a block long. It was exciting and beautiful.

Everyone here at work has told of voting lines that wound down the street and around corners. We have never had lines in Cambridge.

Absolutely never.

Eyes on the prize.
Anonymous said…
I miss voting in person! Here, in my county in Washington all voting is now done by mail. It just isn't the same! But I did cast my ballot. Wouldn't miss a chance to participate in selecting our next president!
Wild Rose
cath said…
I usually take my son--but I was worried about all the talk of long lines this year--I went in the morning without him. Smooth sailing--lots of people voting, but also lots of people here to keep things moving along. I didn't wait at all. Now we wait for the outcome.
Gina said…
Left at lunchtime to go to Charles Village and vote - no line at all! I appeared to be busy this morning, however.... Liam will be disappointed not to have gone with me, but I was afraid of making him stand in the rain with me later.

I must admit that I was shaking as I pushed the CAST VOTE button; I don't think I've ever been so nervous about an election . . .
Gothknits said…
I went in wearing my 2 month old in his sling. I went around noon after the new mother's group. No waiting and no problems.
We have a system that is new for much of the state (CT) but my town has been using it for several years now.
Anonymous said…
I voted around lunch time and it wasn't bad. 9 people in line and a 25 minute wait. Most of the people in line were neighbors and knew each other, so the time went fast as we gabbed. (Ohio)
Troop 2440 said…
Long lines in NYC?? Fuggedaboudit! We were in and out within 20 minutes. Lindsay helped both me and Neil flip the levers and slide the bar over. We are old school here with our voting machines. It's the 2nd election she's voted in. Let's cross our fingers for a better outcome this time.
Matt said…
I voted absentee last week. This is my last election as not-a-dad, but I've been totally conscious of the future we're leaving to our kids. I can't wait for the results!
Anonymous said…
I voted early because I live in Oregon and it is so so simple. When I was filling out my ballot my 10yo asked what I was doing. I started in on an educational talk about the importance of taking part, and he interrupted me. "Are you using a ball point pen? Is it blue or black? Be sure you sign the back of your ballot." He new all about it and wanted to make sure that I was doing it right.

Spiralseekers
Anonymous said…
I voted today in a church across the street from my campus (University of Washington). I must have found an express lane because it took only 10 minutes. There was some guy dressed up as a mono-rail outside of the church. Probably had to do with a proposition to increase transit spending.

This evening since I don't have a TV I'm going to work out in the gym so I can watch the results come in on a TV attached to an elliptical machine. I'll definitely miss Dan Rather's coverage.

Claudia of Claudia and Alex
Anonymous said…
Just got in from the polling place. No line and more poll workers than voters at 11am.

In the fourteen elections I've voted in I don't think I ever felt so giddy casting a ballot. I'm sure I never giggled uncontrollably before.

This year there is such a sense of purpose, of history... dare I say it... of hope.
Anonymous said…
I took Raziel, my 3 yr old and Phoenix, my 6 month old with me this morning. We walked in and the row of older people working our polling place got all excited and one said "Oh good. Three more voters!"

I got my good old fashioned paper ballot ::sigh of relief:: after a wait time of zero minutes and went to the booth, talking Raziel through the process. He loved the experience and got a Kid Voter sticker which he proudly showed to every single person at the Nob Hill we went to right after voting.

I have to say... one of my favorite parts of voting are talking to all the nice, old people who work the polling places. My 17 yr old sister loved being a poll worker (that sounds wrong) even though she couldn't vote yet, and yet, I've only ever encountered the over 70 set.

Happy Voting all!
LunaSea
Anonymous said…
Since I have a flexible schedule, I waited to voted until after the pre-work and lunch rushes. No line when I arrived. Where I vote in Columbus, Ohio, we have the touch-screen (or audio) machines. There are 7 presidential candidates here! With so many issues and possible amendments to the state constitution, reading the ballot took a while. I did notice the TV news crew but thought they were wrapping up and leaving. Nope - my backside made the early "First at Four" news (I was walking towards the voting machines as they panned the room).

LifeAsRiley (from AQ who has lurked a long time and has finally written a comment)
Kaaren said…
My boss let us all leave early from work. After a 45 minute ride home, I arrived at my polling location (a church we have attended off and on), walked in and voted, all in less than 15 minutes.

Would it be dumb to wear my "I Voted" sticker for the rest of thr week? :)
Anonymous said…
I just voted. Took about 2 minutes, but it was the most crowded I have ever seen the precinct. I was around voter #1700.

It's interesting to hear what voting is like in other states. Here, we fill in arrows next to the name/question.

Good luck, Californians, on question 8! I'm following that about as closely as I am following our own questions.

-Screw
Anonymous said…
Lots of new voters when I went today.

How can I tell?

They came through the door with photo ID in hand and the pollworkers kept having to tell them it wasn't necessary.
Anonymous said…
We left on a long road trip several days before we were due to get our absentee ballots. So we went to the Registrar of Voters' Office the first day of early voting. We were among the first to vote early in person in our area, so we were on the local TV news explaining why we voted early. We are stopping our trip early today so we can watch election results from start to finish.
Grumpy Grinch
Kaaren said…
Why is ID not needed, Robb? Here we had to show not our voter's registration card, but our ID.
Anonymous said…
Kaaren: no ID required here. I remember in Maryland we needed a voter reg. card or license failing that.

GG: Did the local news put the segment online?
Marcie said…
According to Contra Costa County, my vote was received October 31. It's all mail-in here, although it was not ever thus. So I'm struck by the idea that two (and four) years ago, there were at least 250 registered voters in and around this little hamlet and now there are not.

Where did they go?
Lisa said…
We had optical scan ballots, where you draw a thick line completing a picture of an arrow. You fill in the shaft, between the arrowhead point and the fletching (feathered part). When I slid the large thick paper into the machine, I beamed at the nice lady who always seems to be working that polling place when I vote and said to nobody in particular "Very Exciting."

I was grinning ear to ear as I walked home.

And now, we'll be tuned into the news until this historic election is settled.
Anonymous said…
I had the option to vote early, but this year was persuaded by SoccerChik to wait until election day. She turned 18 in September, and wanted to vote in her first election ON election day. We went after she got home from school. No lines at all. Touch-screens made it quick and easy.

The really cool part is that she was one of fifteen seniors at her high school chosen to attend the inauguration in January. So it was especially meaningful for her. Not only did she get to vote for the first time, but she gets to see the new president sworn into office.

SandiBox
Barbara R said…
I took my husband to vote for his very first time. We went to a local church down on our neighborhood's main drag. The entrance to the polling place wasn't terribly obvious, but at 8:30am there wasn't much of a line, either. We waited about 3 minutes for a free booth and, using the cheat sheets I wrote up the night before, we were done in about 10 minutes. We both proudly wore our "I Voted!" stickers all day and I've been oddly giddy since!
Gothknits said…
My Grandfather voted early. He noticed my recently deceased Grandmother's name still on the voter roll. He told them that she was dead, and they told him to go to the registrars office. He's a little worried about her voting beyond the grave. I think everyone in my family voted save my older brother who is confused about his felony status.
MommaWriter said…
I both voted early *and* went in person because I'm such a glutton for spectacle. I filled in my mail in ballot and we drove our whole family down to the Registrar of Voters office on Sunday to drop it off. Of course, we had to go in for a look-see too. It was awesome! I had to keep reminding myself it was Sunday in a government office!

Stacey
(WyndRyders LBr-in-Chief)

Popular Posts