Voting Experience

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Pagan
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I early voted today- to save myself some waiting time. Here's how it went down;

I was told by someone that the address on my license had to match my currnent address- or I couldnt vote. After spending an hour and a half at the BMV and searching through my records I found out- that my address DIDNT need to match. As long as my voter registration information was right (correct address) & my licesne was valid it would'nt be a problem.

Then I get to the early voting site, and there is a 70' long line of people outside the doors.

I wait in line and hear after a 45 min. wiat- that no cell phones are allowed in the building (a sign was posted next to the door (which was another 20 min.s away from sight).
Back in line (after going to the car) and fast forward to the inside of the building where I go through a metal detector, I see the line INSIDE the building is as long as the one outside!
The security officer tells anyone in ear shot that it's an hour wait from this point.
(It was a 2 hour wait)

There were only 5 (five) voting booths. We all had to fill out paper work before voting, submit our drivers licenses and had to wait for a confirmation call from a registration grpup.

All told, it was a "quick" 3 hour visit.

But, I'm glad I did it.

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IE
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Wow ... voter suppression in full force in Indiana. What a shock - I'm shocked, I tell you!

Good job, pagan. :cheers:
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DaDitka
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Yea, if it's that bad around here I'm sure I know a lot of people that simply won't vote.....

and to be honest.....all things considered.........I'm not sure I'm real upset about that.
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Xee
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Man, I got to look up to see if they require driver's licenses in Illinois. I can't find the damn thing and haven't had time to go to the DMV yet. I wonder if they'll accept a FOID card?
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Good ole' absentee voting.
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UOK
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I never recieved a voter registration card, and visited the courthouse the other day and voted without incident, it was a F10 or something ballet that allowed me only to vote for federal offices.

That sucks Pagan, and is in what my book I consider to be "bullshit." :censor:
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Halas85
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I live in Oregon, where all of the voting is done by mail. These stories make me thankful for this, as well as make me wonder why more states don't look toward voting by mail. From what I understand, there are concerns about voter fraud being more prominent in Oregon due to the mail-in voting, yet I don't hear a lot of actual evidence -- anecdotal or otherwise -- that this problem has ever come to fruition.

So here was my voting experience: three and a half years ago, soon after I moved to Oregon, I visited the DMV to turn in my Iowa license for an Oregon license. At this point, I signed a simple sheet of paper that also registered me to vote. Done.

Fast forward to this year's major election. Two weeks ago, I was mailed a voters' packet that included a ballot, a couple of envelopes and a booklet that featured every candidate for every office up for election, including their records, their histories, and information about their plans/proposals and core beliefs (in their own words). Each ballot measure was also spelled out (local, county, state ... whatever), outlining full texts, projected costs to taxpayers and several pages of submitted copy from people lobbying both for and against the measure.

So last night, voters' packet in-hand, I sat down and voted at my kitchen table. This morning on the way to work, I dropped off my ballot at the courthouse. Done.

When I hear the horror stories like Pagan's -- even on the radio this morning, they were interviewing early voters in other states that stood in line for upwards of five hours -- I wonder why politicians have bent over backwards to make this procedure so difficult. I hate to sound partisan, but I believe the concerted effort to enhance and complicate the red tape associated with voting has come mainly from Republicans who know that fewer voters lead to a higher success rate for their party. That's bullshit. If lawmakers are to be believed when they proclaim to hold the U.S. Constitution above party and self, then they must aid -- not deter -- citizens who wish to fulfill their right to take part in the democratic process.
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I voted early at work...in and out in a half hour.
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MamaBear
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I sent in an absentee vote a few weeks ago. Glad I did! Sounds like it's going to be a PITA this year. 4 years ago I did it the old fasioned way. I'd say it was a 30-45 minute process.

Halas - so you are saying that Democrats are historically not willing to put extra effort into doing what they have to do in order to be able to vote, whereas, Republicans are? I mean, I'm not sure how else the Democrats are at a disadvantage (we all wait in the same line) unless you are saying what I think you are saying.
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It's nice to know that "someone" might have already barged in on and ruined this thread in a time and place not so far off.
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gaba
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I wish we had early voting in Missouri. The state may end up being important and I'm concerned about the possibility of long lines. I live in a very low income neighborhood and I expect some sort of scams tomorrow.
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RING4CHI
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That's one of the few things I love about living in small town Iowa. Only 1,000 people vote at the polling place that I cast my vote. They have 12 hours to get 1,000 people through. And I usually go in the middle of the afternoon. Their "rush" times occur right at 7 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Basically voting before or after work.
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Halas85
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MamaBear wrote:Halas - so you are saying that Democrats are historically not willing to put extra effort into doing what they have to do in order to be able to vote, whereas, Republicans are? I mean, I'm not sure how else the Democrats are at a disadvantage (we all wait in the same line) unless you are saying what I think you are saying.
I'm not sure what you think I'm saying, but it sounds like you'd like me to explain the voting habits of Democrats. I can try, but I'm certainly not their official spokesperson. My guess is that Democratic turnout is just as good a Republican turnout. The independent voters, though, are a little trickier. The demographics that are more likely to vote democrat are also the demographics that turn out at lower rates -- younger voters, minority voters and poorer voters mostly. So the more of these demographics you get to the polls, the more it helps Democrats. It's pretty simple, and the strategies of both parties that involve voter turnout tend to use this fact as its central premise.
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I'll stand in line for a short while and vote in the a.m.

I'm old school and a mean old bastard.

People get ready there is a change a coming.... you don't need no ticket.... you just get on board.

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Ormazd
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I'll vote this afternoon, and I'm glad of it. I passed 4 voting precincts on my way to work and they were insane. Parking lots full and traffic snarled up. I've never seen anything like it.

Looks good for Obama in Virginia...
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DaDitka
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gaba wrote:I wish we had early voting in Missouri. The state may end up being important and I'm concerned about the possibility of long lines. I live in a very low income neighborhood and I expect some sort of scams tomorrow.

We do.

At least 10% of the people here at work and that frequent my bar voted early.

At first there were no lines, but the more and more the news did stories they started to get rather busy themselves.
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gaba
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DaDitka wrote:
gaba wrote:I wish we had early voting in Missouri. The state may end up being important and I'm concerned about the possibility of long lines. I live in a very low income neighborhood and I expect some sort of scams tomorrow.

We do.

At least 10% of the people here at work and that frequent my bar voted early.

At first there were no lines, but the more and more the news did stories they started to get rather busy themselves.

That's weird... I know for a fact we don't have it down here. Maybe they've just done it for ease congestion in the big cities. It's not state-wide though.




Just got back from voting. My girls are really excited. We've been more involved in this election than any previous one, volunteering and just generally talking about it constantly, so they've heard a lot about it. My oldest gets excited every time she see's Obama on tv. I think she likes him because he looks like her friend Brian.


I think now would be a good time to just get TANKED. If I could find a baby-sitter right now I'd work on a black-out, then I could just wake up when it's over.
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Boris13c
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polling place opened at 6:00am ... got in line at 6:20am ... voting completed at 7:40am

so, it took a bit longer than expected ... the polling place workers did their best to make a simple process a complex one ... I guess that is their way of feeling a part of the process ... morons

but, I did my duty ... and as I walked outside to my car, it felt like some fresh air ... like when you roll down your car window to let out the fart gas you just blasted yourself with ... because rancid fart gas is the most complimentary thing I can think of to describe our seated president, THE village idiot himself, George W Bush

there was a time I could look upon both major political parties as equals ... George W Bush changed that for me ... his clueless violent actions as the president have done major catastrophic harm to our country ... to hear the Repugnant-cans bleat on about McCain being the warrior needed to lead us made me want to vomit ... the Repugnant-can party Nazis have gone out of their way to alienate anyone of intelligence and free thinking, because according to them, if you aren't goose-stepping right along the party line you are against America ... and that is total utter complete bullshit

I hope sometime today McCain leaves a rancid load in his Depends for his bone bag whore of a wife to clean up, shitting himself endlessly as he sees the returns rolling in ... and as his mess is flushed down the toilet, I hope that is a clear sign of where the hopes of the hate filled divisive right are going as well
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DaDitka
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Boris13c wrote:polling place opened at 6:00am ... got in line at 6:20am ... voting completed at 7:40am

so, it took a bit longer than expected ... the polling place workers did their best to make a simple process a complex one ... I guess that is their way of feeling a part of the process ... morons

but, I did my duty ... and as I walked outside to my car, it felt like some fresh air ... like when you roll down your car window to let out the fart gas you just blasted yourself with ... because rancid fart gas is the most complimentary thing I can think of to describe our seated president, THE village idiot himself, George W Bush

there was a time I could look upon both major political parties as equals ... George W Bush changed that for me ... his clueless violent actions as the president have done major catastrophic harm to our country ... to hear the Repugnant-cans bleat on about McCain being the warrior needed to lead us made me want to vomit ... the Repugnant-can party Nazis have gone out of their way to alienate anyone of intelligence and free thinking, because according to them, if you aren't goose-stepping right along the party line you are against America ... and that is total utter complete bullshit

I hope sometime today McCain leaves a rancid load in his Depends for his bone bag whore of a wife to clean up, shitting himself endlessly as he sees the returns rolling in ... and as his mess is flushed down the toilet, I hope that is a clear sign of where the hopes of the hate filled divisive right are going as well

So who did you vote for?


:evilgrin:
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Boris13c
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DaDitka wrote:So who did you vote for?


:evilgrin:
I could tell you ... but then I'd have to kill you :nana:
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gaba
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When I was discussing politics with my grandmother, among all the respected incumbents and old family friends, Mo. Attorney General was the one position for which I was pretty sure I'd be voting Republican. When I mentioned that, she actually argued with me. The ONE thing I figured we'd agree on she flipped on me. I kind of figured I'd prefer a more conservative person in charge of that office... tough on crime and what-not... but she actually convinced me otherwise, SO...

I don't consider myself a Democrat, but I just voted a straight party ticket. Now I know why people do it. No thinking required. No research, no decision making, no internal debate... just check the "DEM" box and be done with it. I don't generally think it matters if the county clerk is a democrat or a republican. Who cares if the guy filing your marriage license is pro-life? I voted the party line anyway though. F*&K the GOP!!!
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Xee
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Well, as usual, I waited till the last minute to vote (I'm a card-carrying procrastinator). My polling place is a junior high practically across the street from so I left the house around 20 minutes before the polls closed. After the 5-minute walk (beautiful night) I got inside and saw that they were already collapsing a lot of the booths. I walked up to an extremely-bored teenager who was manning the registration table, gave her my name, and chose to use the computer. Five minutes later, I was walking home. Pretty uneventful.
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Ormazd
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No one in line when my wife and I voted (about 5 PM). Nice.
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