[GOVT] 10/02/2004 Election Day discussion thread

[potemkin]

So, what were the polls like?

Organinized? Disorganized?

What kind of election device? Mechanical lever? Electronic? Punch? Scantron style darken the circle?

Crowded? It was at my polling station. About 30 people at 6:30am and about 100 people in line right before it opened at 7am. It had rained all night and was sprinkling when in line.

It was disorganized. I think there will be some angry people if it stays that crowded and they stay disorganized.

I expected more elections on the ballot. Federal and State were there but most of the offices were unopposed with one Libertarian being the fly in the ointment.

 

[potemkin]

I wonder what party? HMMM......

http://www.drudgereport.com/
VOTES FOUND ON MACHINES IN PHILLY, BEFORE POLLS OPEN

Before voting even began in Philladelphia -- poll watchers found nearly 2000 votes already planted on machines scattered throughout the city... One incident occurred at the SALVATION ARMY, 2601 N. 11th St., Philadelphia, Pa: Ward 37, division 8... pollwatchers uncovered 4 machines with planted votes; one with over 200 and one with nearly 500... A second location, 1901 W. Girard Ave., Berean Institute, Philadelphia, Pa, had 300+ votes already on 2 machines at start of day... INCIDENT: 292 votes on machine at start of day; WARD/DIVISION: 7/7: ADDRESS: 122 W. Erie Ave., Roberto Clemente School, Philadelphia, Pa.; INCIDENT: 456 votes on machine at start of day; WARD/DIVISION: 12/3; ADDRESS: 5657 Chew Ave., storefront, Philadelphia, Pa... Developing...

 

[Myranya]

I don't understand why the US can't do a better job of organising the voting. Sure, y'all have loads and loads more people (I'm in the Netherlands) but still, with all our current technology there shouldn't be any need to stand in line for hours and hours. Can't there be more polling places? I've voted in many elections, first with the old ballots (fill in a box) and later with the electronic machines, and there were never more than five people in front of me, which took about all of two minutes. Yes, it's a big investment -more voting machines, more people to work them... however the machines should last a long time, and aren't many of the people who do the work volunteers? I'd guess there would be a higher turnout when people don't have to stand in line for that long, especially since it's a weekday... I can vote on my way to work or during lunch but I sure couldn't do that if it took an hour or more.

 

[GILTRIC]

http://www.drudgereport.com/
VOTES FOUND ON MACHINES IN PHILLY, BEFORE POLLS OPEN

Before voting even began in Philladelphia -- poll watchers found nearly 2000 votes already planted on machines scattered throughout the city... One incident occurred at the SALVATION ARMY, 2601 N. 11th St., Philadelphia, Pa: Ward 37, division 8... pollwatchers uncovered 4 machines with planted votes; one with over 200 and one with nearly 500... A second location, 1901 W. Girard Ave., Berean Institute, Philadelphia, Pa, had 300+ votes already on 2 machines at start of day... INCIDENT: 292 votes on machine at start of day; WARD/DIVISION: 7/7: ADDRESS: 122 W. Erie Ave., Roberto Clemente School, Philadelphia, Pa.; INCIDENT: 456 votes on machine at start of day; WARD/DIVISION: 12/3; ADDRESS: 5657 Chew Ave., storefront, Philadelphia, Pa... Developing...

I didn't go to Drudge but I also don't see who those votes might be for.

 

[potemkin]

I didn't go to Drudge but I also don't see who those votes might be for.

It doesn't say but if you know Philadelphia it wouldn't take a genius to determine which party needs to deliver these precincts/wards

 

[Deena in GA]

We use the electronic machines. I believe this is the third election with them and I really like them. Very easy to use. They do have a battery backup in case the power goes out.

 

[FREEBIRD]

Paper ballots with the fill-in-the-oval. Orderly, crowded compared to other elections, fewer unopposed races than usual.

 

[Trivium Pursuit]

I punched the stuffing out of my paper chads! The guy behind me in line is actually named Chad--that was too weird for words! Polling place very calm and organized.

 

[Tweakette]

I think that all of Vermont uses the darken-the-circle optical scan method. That's what our place uses as well. I really like those - easy to use and maintains a good paper trail. Why all the chad places don't switch to that I don't know.

One thing I DON'T like - when they ask me to sign in it's always in pencil. There are no pens provided, and it's been like that every year. It's possible that my signature could be erased and altered after-the-fact (though not likely - I'm in the boonies in a small town and everything has always seemed to be on the up-and-up).

And NO ONE, not the workers or the people go in and out, ever talks about anything but the weather. Everyone is really careful not to talk about It (the election) even though that's what they're there for. I really like that everyone keeps their mouth shut.

And I always walk across the lawn to avoid the herds of local candidates who are their 50 feet away from the polls, at the base of the walkway.

Tweak

 

[Imaginethat!]

Where we are in South Carolina, we used a touch screen. Effortless. But it took us about 40 minutes to vote waiting on line. Now if our last name was N-Z, there was almost not wait.

Pretty calm. One loud mouth said "I'm ready to vote in my NEW commander in chief!" but that was about it.

Imaginethat!

 

[Rickster6]

In New Jersey (and New York) we use the "old-fashioned" turn the lever to close the screen, push down the lever next to your preferred candidate until the "X" shows next to the name. I don't know why all the states don't use that method.

Rick

 

[Breeta]

My voting experience

I voted at about 9:30am today. There was a steady stream of people going into vote, but no line to wait in. IHere in LA county, we have ballots where we mark our choice with a "dot" instead of punch cards.

So I get in my booth and I hear an old lady and old man talking very loudly. I look over and they're both squeezed into one booth, late 80's, early 90's. The old lady says, "So who should I vote for? Bush,Cheney or Curry?" The man says (Loudly, mind you!!) "Curry! You want to vote for Curry!" "Curry... okay. What number is he?" "I don't know. Let me look here. " "I can't see, can you?" "No, I can't see either... where's my glasses? Oh here he is, number 12." "Okay. So I just mark with the pen here, Curry, Edwards, is it?" "yes."