posted
Our polls opened today at 6 AM. I was in line (in line!) at 5:45 AM, and managed to get into the booth around 6:30 AM. I had a little conversation with the people around me, and it occured to me that I was probably voting completely opposite of nearly everyone there. It was an odd feeling, indeed!
So, this thread is offering hugs for those of you voting in a way completely opposite to the vast majority of your neighbors.
Repulican voting in Massachusetts? I'm here for you.
Democrat voting in Texas? I've got your back.
(((voters who are strangers in strange lands)))
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
I love that I may have to wait in line when I vote today. Every time I've voted I was one of maybe two or three people at the polling place, and that is always a bit discouraging.
According to cnn.com, there are reports of people camping out overnight in some places to be the first in line. This is exciting. This is the way every election should be.
Posts: 4292 | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
I went around 7:30 and didn't have to wait all that long, there were two voting machines and only about 10 people ahead of me. But in the last election, when I went midmorning, there was no line at all. I really hope we get a decent voter turnout, that's how it should be every election of course.
Posts: 957 | Registered: Aug 2002
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We're a small town of 1200 people, and the polling place covers our city limits, and a little bit of the surrounding unincorporated county. My husband left the polling place at 8:30, and he was voter #370. The line wrapped all the way around the building.
I will vote around 10:00, figure I'll let the morning rush subside. Our area always has good turnout. Excellent, in fact. Usually over 70% of registered voters vote.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
My wife got to the polls at about 7:15 this morning. The polls opened at 7. There were about 350 people ahead of her.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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It's staggering that 70% is considered excellent voter turnout, isn't it? I mean, it is *much* higher than the percentage that normally turns out to vote, but still!
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I agree, Noemon. But, it is an excellent turnout when compared to the national averages.
Well, I'm off - I figure the early crowd will have settled down and I want to beat the lunch hour rush.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
My wife and I just voted, took maybe 10 minutes, counting the walk to and from the car. But my precinct had lines out the wazoo when they opened, filled with people voting on the way to work, and I'm sure they'll be more tonight after 5.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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And then there are those of us who vote absentee.
I'm voting opposite of the wind. The only one I voted for who has a chance is George Nethercutt, going up against incumbent Patty Murray. We shall see. His ads were better (though that's not why I voted for him -- I decided my vote based on what Murray had to say about him). He had a great one that was entirely made up of outtakes. It was cute and funny. And memorable. It was my favorite ad of the entire season.
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
My precinct usually has good voter turnout. I usually wait in line for like five minutes or so. This morning when I drove by, the line was way out the door. The posters and such are all over the freaking place. I'll go vote after work.
My town has representation from both political parties, contrary to stereotype, but the republicans do seem to have a healthy (not overwhelming) majority. I'm registered as an independent, currently, and my vote will be somewhat split, but I guess I am a little bit of a stranger in my votes for president, senator, and congressman. So a partial hug, maybe?
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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While waiting for my bf to finish voting, I managed to watch a woman cancel out all my votes.
The voting machines here aren't shrouded very well have BIG PRINT SO YOU CAN READ IT ACROSS THE ROOM. Well, I couldn't help myself but watch.
She voted for prop I voted against and against the prop I voted for. I didn't see her vote for president and I'm very glad about that.
Posts: 7085 | Registered: Apr 2001
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I'm back. I was #963 on my ballot counting machine. There were two there, so if you roughly double that we've had 1900 votes! I mis-stated before, don't know what I was thinking. Our town population is about 2400. The next town over, which also votes here, is about 1200, half out size.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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In my state we also voted on the marriage amendment today. Though my husband and I both voted "no" I realize that we're in the minority and that tomorrow we'll probably have a definition that says marriage is between a man and woman, blah blah blah.
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Josh -- you're Mormon and Libertarian??? I didn't know they allowed that...
I just went over lunch hour and picked up my ex and took him to the polls. I thought he would have to walk home-- but there was no line, he got right in and out within 10 minutes.
I guess in a way that is sad -- his precinct is a neighborhood of very poor, and almost overwhelmingly Hispanic people -- so maybe most of them don't vote? I will hope most of them voted before or after work, and that would explain why the noon hour was slow.
AJ, mine are mostly still shiny, but I have a friend who says you can use the buffer (the silk side) as often as you like...my only problem is, as my nails grow, the lower part is uneven and buffing doesn't help. Hubby says I'm getting obsessive, though. Silly man, what does he know about nails, anyway? Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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In all honesty, I think Bloomington has a fair amount of people with strong anti-Bush (if not necessarily pro-Kerry) feelings. That's at least a couple thousand...maybe...
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Yah, it's true of course, college towns especially will have a pretty big Kerry turnout, but Indiana isn't e ven approaching swing-state status.
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This is true. Back in 2000, I had the option of voting either here, or in my very recently former home state of Georgia. Either place, I had no hope of my vote making any difference in the outcome of the election.
And they say the electoral college prevents mob rule...
[NB: KIDDING! not trying to start an argument here!]
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Apparently people are predicting the largest voter turnout ever. It's still kind of pathetic, though:
quote:With the Republican and Democratic parties deploying millions of volunteers to mobilize the vote, some observers have suggested the national turnout could be as high as 120 million, a significant jump on the 106 million who voted in 2000
That's still significantly less than 50% of the American populace. I was in Greece for their elections this past March (and yes, that does mean I'm rather electioned-out right about now), and the 75+% turnout they got was low. Low! Alright, I suppose it helps that they take away your driver's license if you don't vote, but still. Americans kind of suck when it comes to voting in and of itself.
I suppose I shouldn't complain. At least more people here in the States are voting.
Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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Thank you Megan. As an independant with democratic leanings,I needed that!
((Megan))
edit : the dreaded librarian tap on the shoulder came before I could add: A quasi-dem in Republican-tilting Georgia. The dems have just about had their last gasp here in state-wide politics. We will most likely field 2 republican US senators next year. Oh, the shame!
posted
120 million is approximately 57% of those who are of voting age in the US. There are still more people in the census who are ineligible to vote for various reasons. Personally I think the EC and the feeling that voting in certain areas won't count contributes to the low turnouts. Its also much easier to be represented in most of Europe where there are tons of parties to choose from all of which either are represented in a parliament or have the reasonable capability to be.
I'm a Republican in South Florida. When I go to my cousin's Bar Mitzvah this weekend I'm pretty confident of being the only person who voted for Bush in the entire synagouge.
Posts: 3446 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Silly man, what does he know about nails, anyway? ![[Evil Laugh]](graemlins/evillaugh.gif)
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kidding, dear.
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