Voting - not political

[wsuffa]

If this turns poltical (in my discretion or the discretion of the MC), I will move it over to Spin Zone.

I think I know part of the reason we have low turnout in elections. It is the snail pace of the lines to vote...

I voted today (early voting in Texas through today), with the hope of avoiding some of the lines on Tuesday. The county has designated about 25 locations for early voting. The one I went to had 8 electronic voting machines. So far, so good.

I arrived about 2 PM, and took my place in the line to "check-in", where they check your registration card or ID (here, we can use either one), and sign your name on the voting sheet. It took 24 minutes for 16 people to clear the check-in. By the time I left, the poll workers were quoting 45 minutes for the line (which was 3x as long as it was when I arrived). My guess is an hour or more.

At no time were more than 5 of the 8 voting machines occupied. Once I cleared the "check-in", things went quickly. There were 15! pages on the ballot, plus 4 review pages. Probably 25% of the seats (mostly judges) were uncontested.

While the line grew, I watched at least 5 people come in, ask how long it would be, and turn around and leave. I'd bet that some of them don't bother to come back because the lines on Election Day are even longer (I consider 30 minutes a "bargain" compared to the hour+ it took me last election).

So, what could we do? The poll workers could set up a second check-in station. For early voting, they use a laptop and print stickers for the sign-in. The laptop/printer could work much faster - it took a good 30 seconds to spit out two labels for the sign-in sheet. My bet is that making the process more efficient would help voter turnout.

Hope your experience is better than mine. But please take the time to VOTE.

 

[SkyHog]

Its funny, the place I vote at is a Christian Church. It doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't be surprised if that keeps some people in this district away from voting. I really cab't believe that location was chosen.

 

[tonycondon]

if they are willing to host as a voting location, i say let em.

 

[Diana]

Its funny, the place I vote at is a Christian Church. It doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't be surprised if that keeps some people in this district away from voting. I really cab't believe that location was chosen.

We vote in Floyd Moore's garage. He lives about a mile and a half down our dirt road. If the two tray tables are occupied, we use the top of his freezer to mark our ballots. Everybody knows everybody there, and you will hear people talking about how the drought is affecting the harvest this year.

We used to vote about 2 miles away in the shed of an apple orchard. I love rural America.

 

[TMetzinger]

I agree that the bigger problem is lack of election staff (and frankly, some of the folks serving as election judges aren't the brightest bulbs in the tree).

Next cycle I'm going to see what's involved in being a judge, and urge some of my fellow middle aged citizens to join in. Right now retirees are doing the work (since they have the time), but the lines move at "senior speed".

 

[Chache]

Its funny, the place I vote at is a Christian Church. It doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't be surprised if that keeps some people in this district away from voting. I really cab't believe that location was chosen.

At least their walls are bullet proof........

 

[gprellwitz]

Its funny, the place I vote at is a Christian Church. It doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't be surprised if that keeps some people in this district away from voting. I really cab't believe that location was chosen.

Well, when I was living in Chicago, one of the polling places we had was a bar on the corner called, I kid you not, "Oinkers." Now if That ain't Chicago, I don't know what is!

 

[Everskyward]

I think I know part of the reason we have low turnout in elections. It is the snail pace of the lines to vote...

That's a big part of the reason I always get an absentee ballot. The other reason is that I never know if I'm going to be in town on election day. I know that it means I miss out on any late developments, but I usually have my mind made up ahead of time anyway.

 

[SCCutler]

I early-voted today, wait was about eight minutes or so, and the voting machines were in pretty much constant use. Biggest hold-up was the folks using the conmputer to pull up your voting card if you did not bring it (nearly no one does, mea culpa), were from the pre-computer generation, very slow and non-intuitive in mouse & keyboard use. It's OK, they're volunteers.


When I lived in Orange County, CA (Fullerton), we voted in a neighbor's garage about a block and a half away, very convenient, very neighborly, and I assume participation was good. It was (IMHO) a very good system.

 

[ScottM]

Everyone get out and vote. Not to vote is, IMHO, doing a diservice to all who have sacrificed their life for that right.

 

[wbarnhill]

I agree that the bigger problem is lack of election staff (and frankly, some of the folks serving as election judges aren't the brightest bulbs in the tree).

Next cycle I'm going to see what's involved in being a judge, and urge some of my fellow middle aged citizens to join in. Right now retirees are doing the work (since they have the time), but the lines move at "senior speed".

Quite true. I signed up to be a poll worker this year, and 90% of the people at the training session were senior citizens, some (not all, mind you) of whom had some trouble with the process. But definitely there is a lack of help. My training session had about 30 people in it, and the coordinator said generally only about 1/3 to 1/2 actually show up on election day.

 

[wbarnhill]

Everyone get out and vote. Not to vote is, IMHO, doing a diservice to all who have sacrificed their life for that right.

Hear hear.

No matter how you vote, vote. Doesn't matter if it takes 15 minutes or 2 hours, it's worth your time.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

No matter how you vote, vote. Doesn't matter if it takes 15 minutes or 2 hours, it's worth your time.

Even if you have to quit your job?

I may miss voting this year for the first time ever. (Well, OK, I'm an "every two year" voter...) It's apparently too late to request an absentee ballot and the way things look I'll probably be outta here (like, in Ohio or something) before Tuesday.

 

[wbarnhill]

Even if you have to quit your job?

I may miss voting this year for the first time ever. (Well, OK, I'm an "every two year" voter...) It's apparently too late to request an absentee ballot and the way things look I'll probably be outta here (like, in Ohio or something) before Tuesday.

Sorry to hear that

 

[flyingcheesehead]

There were 15! pages on the ballot, plus 4 review pages. Probably 25% of the seats (mostly judges) were uncontested.

Holy cow! Our ballots are ONE legal-sized page. Crikey.

What all are you voting for this time around? I've noticed in my travels that some places have the silliest things up for election. Coroner is the only one I can think of right off the bat, but I know I've seen many election signs for positions that have no business being elected or partisan in any way, they should be appointed and/or hired by mayors, governors, etc. That may have something to do with the size of your ballot (although I do realize everything has to be bigger in TX ) and the speed of the line.

My bet is that making the process more efficient would help voter turnout.

I agree wholeheartedly.

 

[alaskaflyer]

I usually vote absentee ballet because my schedule is so unpredictable, but this year I'm actually going to the booth (or whatever Alaska uses.) Side-benefit is the community is sponsoring a public cookout fundraiser for the school hockey team next door, so I'm getting fed too!

Maybe if every voting precinct tried that...

 

[tonycondon]

Everyone get out and vote. Not to vote is, IMHO, doing a diservice to all who have sacrificed their life for that right.

Well scott, I personally feel that an uneducated vote is a slap in the face to those who have sacrificed their lives for the right.

 

[wbarnhill]

Well scott, I personally feel that an uneducated vote is a slap in the face to those who have sacrificed their lives for the right.

People are free to vote how they wish for whatever reasons they wish. There is no IQ test to become a citizen, no requirement to show your high school diploma to vote, it's all just rights bestowed upon us, and while we may disagree on why to vote for someone (trust me, I get so upset when I ask someone why they voted the way they did and they respond with "Oh, well my parents are ________" or "I just picked one") but in the end it is that person's decision. It's all a part of freedom.

(Hope this doesn't cross the Spin Zone line, if so I'll gladly remove it.)

 

[mikea]

Its funny, the place I vote at is a Christian Church. It doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't be surprised if that keeps some people in this district away from voting. I really can't believe that location was chosen.

Mine is in a church, too. Nobody has made an issue of that here yet, although a woman did did personal permission not to display a city sticker in burbs because it showed a cross in veterans cemetery.

What they do is change the polling place fairly often.

They county elections clerk really does to try do a straight job. He's a fairly independent guy, but if da machine wanted him gone they could do it like swatting a fly.

I don't expect a big turnout. There has been so much corruption and endless negative ads on both side of the governors race that people are going to say pox on both and stay home. They are some hot congressional races, but not mine. My congressman is Rahm Emanuel, who has the seat once held by Dan Rostenkowski.

 

[mgkdrgn]

All of which is part of the reason I always vote "absentee".

If this turns poltical (in my discretion or the discretion of the MC), I will move it over to Spin Zone.

I think I know part of the reason we have low turnout in elections. It is the snail pace of the lines to vote...

I voted today (early voting in Texas through today), with the hope of avoiding some of the lines on Tuesday. The county has designated about 25 locations for early voting. The one I went to had 8 electronic voting machines. So far, so good.

I arrived about 2 PM, and took my place in the line to "check-in", where they check your registration card or ID (here, we can use either one), and sign your name on the voting sheet. It took 24 minutes for 16 people to clear the check-in. By the time I left, the poll workers were quoting 45 minutes for the line (which was 3x as long as it was when I arrived). My guess is an hour or more.

At no time were more than 5 of the 8 voting machines occupied. Once I cleared the "check-in", things went quickly. There were 15! pages on the ballot, plus 4 review pages. Probably 25% of the seats (mostly judges) were uncontested.

While the line grew, I watched at least 5 people come in, ask how long it would be, and turn around and leave. I'd bet that some of them don't bother to come back because the lines on Election Day are even longer (I consider 30 minutes a "bargain" compared to the hour+ it took me last election).

So, what could we do? The poll workers could set up a second check-in station. For early voting, they use a laptop and print stickers for the sign-in. The laptop/printer could work much faster - it took a good 30 seconds to spit out two labels for the sign-in sheet. My bet is that making the process more efficient would help voter turnout.

Hope your experience is better than mine. But please take the time to VOTE.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

What if you could vote at any ATM machine with your voter card and a PIN?

That'd be cool, unless you were behind the guy waiting so you could get out $20 for lunch!

 

[ApacheBob]

I agree that the bigger problem is lack of election staff (and frankly, some of the folks serving as election judges aren't the brightest bulbs in the tree).

Next cycle I'm going to see what's involved in being a judge, and urge some of my fellow middle aged citizens to join in. Right now retirees are doing the work (since they have the time), but the lines move at "senior speed".

It is a very, very long day. It is fun to be chipper after 13 hours of sitting on metal folding chairs.
ApacheBob

 

[ejensen]

They're doing something right here. Eliminated precints and really streamlined things. I voted early last Thursday. In and out in 10 minutes. Most of that was completing the very long ballot.

Eric

 

[tparsons]

In Oregon, we all (well, nearly all) vote by mail.

Voters have an electronic image of their signature on file at the County Election Clerk's office. About 2-1/2 weeks before the election, registered voters get a ballot in the mail to be filled out by filling in a circle for each item. The ballot then goes in a plain envelope which goes inside another envelope. You sign the outside envelope which also has your name and address. You then either mail the ballot back or take it to a County drop box.

At the election office, the clerks scan the barcode on the outside envelope which brings up your info including the image of your signature. If the signatures match, they open the outside envelope and remove the inside envelope for later counting. If the signatures don't match, I believe they contact you or set the ballot aside. On election day, they open the plain inside envelope, and pass them through the optical scanner for counting.

It's pretty simple, and there have been very few reported cases of voting fraud. I'm pretty sure that representatives of each party are present at the counting to ensure that valid ballots are counted correctly. Proof of eligibility to vote is made at the time you register and there is a cutoff for registration about 3 weeks before the election unless your eligibility to vote changes (you come of age) or you change address.

The main advantage is that there are no long lines to vote, no problems with lack of machines, or ones that malfunction, and no having to take time off from work on Tuesday to vote (why don't we vote on Saturday or Sunday?).

Tyler

 

[RogerT]

I vote at a church about 3 blocks away from my house. I do it on my
way home for lunch. Seldom takes more than about 5 minutes. They
serve cookies. Mmmm.

However .. since the poll workers (and a lot of the voters) are
elderly retired folks, I'm not sure how it'll play when they switch
to electronic voting.

RT

 

[woodstock]

Its funny, the place I vote at is a Christian Church. It doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't be surprised if that keeps some people in this district away from voting. I really cab't believe that location was chosen.

wow, I agree. what if they chose a Mosque? there would be a ton of people ticked off. including the regular patrons of said Mosque.

 

[ScottM]

What is sad is in my town we no longer have polling places in the schools. The reason was a few parent objected that criminals would be allowed to come in and vote and put the kids at risk. I think a simple solution would have been to just post someone at the door to the rest of the school as we would normally vote in the gym. Also the kids loose because I saw lots of times the kids with their teachers come in and watch the voting process. Hook 'em while they are young I say and perhaps they will be less apathetic later in life about the democratic process.

The church thing would bug me only because of the separation of church vs. state, be it a mosque synagouge or christian church I would feel the same. All churches are filled with symbolic meaning and having an election in that church is just a little too close symbolically to the theocratic direction that some extremists would want to take with our country.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I may miss voting this year for the first time ever.

Good news... My ride back to "the yard" was via Menominee, MI so I didn't leave there until today and was able to stop by and vote on the way back south.

I even voted for a couple of Republicans.

It looks like Wisconsin is getting the death penalty. Dunno how I feel about that. It also looks like we're getting an amendment to the state constitution banning marriage or "anything substantially similar to marriage" for anyone except one man and one woman. So, no "civil unions" even. Not a big fan of such things, but IMHO this is sooooooo 1850's. I don't get it, they're not hurting anyone else.