What was voting day like for you?

I read your post, but I voted early.

 

I did the early voting thing last week. However, I answered your questions, providing my wife's experience today. She was traveling all last week for her job so she had to vote today.

 

I got in line about 10 minutes before the pole opened. I was number 65. I was out about 1/2 hour after the poles opened.

 

I went about 20 min before closing, there had been 600+ people that is more than twice the normal turnout for this area.

 

I voted the other day.

 

5 minutes here

 

No one ahead of me--less than 5 minutes to vote.

 

I went to the polls at around 11:00 am. Voted electronically, and had to wait about 15 minutes in line. My husband went around 3:00 pm, no line. Hubby said he overheard the poll workers saying to each other go take bathroom breaks before the mad rush comes in.

 

I voted by absentee ballot, although it was a waste of time since we have another godless democrat for president.

 

Got to the polls at 6:40 -- 20 minutes before opening --- and there was already a line. Finally voted at 8:40 -- only a 2 hour wait.

It was my daughter's first election - she just turned 18 - so we went to breakfast together at Starbuck's afterwards. At least they gave us free coffee for voting (helps offset that $3 muffin). And it was an excused tardy at school due to voting (note: public schools were closed).

 

I voted after I got off work at 3:00 pm. We use a paper ballot with a special pen provided at each polling station - then we feed the ballot into an electronic reader. We have an oval by the persons name that we fill in. I was the 667th voter at my precinct.

 

Do you suppose voter #666 voted for Obama?

(sorry, couldn't resist)

 

Not a waste of time. If you didn't vote at all then Obama's margin of victory would have been greater. The fact that you vote give you a say in what happens in this country. IMO you now have a right to voice your opinions on our new leader and whatever he does. If you don't vote then IMO you should keep your mouth shut about our leaders.


Bill

 

I voted about 11 A. M. and there were two people in line ahead of me and no waiting for a booth. The whole thing took about 5 min. Jeanne went to vote about 3 P. M. and it was just about the same time.

We use paper ballots with an oval next to their name to fill in. Then the ballot is scanned. The scanner will beep if it can't read your marks, so that you can properly fill in the ovals.

Does anyone still use punch cards? Remember the hanging chads?


Bill

 

We used the punch cards in the 2000 election. There were signs everywhere telling you to check & make sure that you punched through the card hard enough. And you took your completed punched card & personally dropped it in the box after voting. If there were any pregnant, dimpled or hanging chads, you could have seen them if you took the time (or intellect) to look. Believe me, it was not a difficult process.

For the 2004 election, we replaced the punch cards with computer touch screens. Very easy, very quick, very efficient. But in effect, we were asking people who were not smart enought to handle a simple card to vote on a computer! Obviously that one did not work.

So we trashed the computer machines for 2008 and moved to filling in the ovals on a paper ballot. I felt like I was back in elemetary school. However, I'm sure there were some who still couldn't do this correctly either.

For 2012, I am expecting us to use a thumb mark.

And the ballot is required to be in three languages. :tonofbricks:

 

I see your point--except what difference does the margin of victory make? Winning is winning, and losing is losing. I'm not sure if McCain was a good choice, but I figured he was the lesser of the evils. Before anyone accuses me of being prejudiced, it had nothing whatsoever to do with Obama's skin color. In fact, had he been Republican and not a liberal, I would have voted for him.

 

Can't speak for your state, but having served as an election judge, your vote was very likely counted. We've used the scanners before, and they usually pick up check marks or X's. Even if they don't, the ballot would have been kicked out of the machine into a pile that two poll workers would have counted by hand.