Post your election day experiences here. Lines at the polls, oddities at the polls, violence at the polls... Experiences working for your candidate. Up at 0500 CST. Too amped to sleep anymore. Laying out my walking lists, reading blogs, caffination, postng here.
The polls open at 7:00. My wife and I will be heading over to our polling place as soon as she is ready, then we're off to work. I hope it's a long line. I expect to get to the office by about 8:00.
Polls opened at 6:00. About 6:15 I looked out my window (it's right across the street) and line had only a few people. By the time I got my teeth brushed and some clothes on and walked over there, the line was a block and a half long. So I'm gonna come back mid-morning when I don't have to fight the on-the-way-to-work crowd.
I posted this in another thread, but I think it's probably more appropriate here. I got there just before 6 am. Didn't get out until 6:45. In Arlington, about 2/3s of those people are voting for Kerry. That's important if he's going to pull an upset in VA.
I voted absentee a few weeks ago, but I too am amped to say the least. I don't think I'm gonna get much done over the next couple of days. I'm going a concert tonight, but I'm not sure I'll be able to enjoy it because I'm worried sick about the election.
Walking (door-to-door canvassing) sheets delivered a few minutes ago updated with last nights take from the early voters Sunday and Monday at the Auditor's office. 44 more votes in the bank. My magic number for my precinct is now 387. Polls open... Now. (Okay, in 6 minutes then...) Jesus, it started here and it ends here. What a long, strange trip it's been.
Polls opened at 7, we got there at 7:20. We'd never voted in this precinct, as we moved in July. We waited about 15 minutes in line. I had no trouble. My wife, who changed her address two weeks before I did, wasn't in the book so she couldn't vote. We had to leave for work before the pollworkers could get it fixed, so we don't know how this is going to turn. She's pissed, though. They told her she might still be on the books at the old precinct, but since she doesn't have ID for that address any more, that's not going to help.
When I left for work, the line was over two blocks long. How cool is that? I mean regardless of who they're voting for. It's still amazing turnout.
Can't she do a provisional ballot or something? I've voted at my precinct several times and haven't had any trouble even though my DL still has my old address.
Got to polls at 6:35 and it was 7:35 before I voted; just an hour... but I have never seen that many people... I would guess that result WILL NOT be known today... possibly Wednesday... some of these Poll Workers will be overwhelmed with overwork by mid-day... This turnout could appoach 85-90%! Good! No problems observed in voting: I hope everyone qualified votes! IntheNet Bush/Cheney in 2004 GO DC United!
Polls open at 6:30 in Ohio. I was in line at 6:45 - in the rain - and didn't finish voting until just after 8. At the last midterm elections, I waltzed in at about 7:30 and waltzed back out at about 7:33. The turnout is astounding. I'm a little nervous because there are so many Bush signs in yards in my suburb. This will be close. As an aside, I was undecided on Fingerhut/Voinovich right up until I flipped to that page in the book... and after mulling it over I ended up breaking for the challenger. Anecdotal, but the fact it worked out that way for me makes me hopeful that undecideds about Kerry/Bush break in a similar fashon while in the booth.
Perhaps your first post ever with two things that I agree with. Where in VA are you voting? Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, elsewhere?
Polls opened at 6am CST for me, I cast my ballot around 615. I'm sporting my "I Voted Today" sticker, are you? Lines were minimal 1-3 people in front of me. I live in a wealthy suburb so they were kneecapping all the Democrats as they walked through the door.
I just got to work about five minutes ago. We got to the polling place at about 5 minutes to 7:00. We didn't actually make it through the line until about 8:15. And traffic on the Beltway was non-existent. It was like driving the same route on a Saturday morning at the same time. I've never seen the polls more crowded. That's awesome!
Democracy at work. I don't care who you support. This is a good sign. Let's just hope we can have the same support for our Men's team when they play qualifiers.
My co-worker who lives down the street got there at 7:00 and it took her 90 minutes. Turnout in Arlington is good for Kerry. Maybe an upset in VA?
Just got back from voting at 9am. Only 1 person ahead of me in the line. The old ladies there were nice and chatty, said they were very busy up until 8:30. In and out in about 3 minutes. As much as it pains me, I ended up voting for Kerry after much deliberation about whether to vote for Badnarik. But my feeling is right now at this point in time, it's more important to elect someone other than Bush than growing a third party movement.
Voting is not "democracy at work," but rather a possible reflection of real democratic institutions and citizen commitments everyday, or not. The idea that just coming out once every 2/4 years to cast a vote, then having the right to abandon the daily work that constitutes generating a viable republic (let alone a democracy) is a very dangerous one, and the very notion that got us these candidates in the first place. That is to say, while many of us feel like we can come out every time t and do our duty and that's enough/democracy, other forces/persons are working at shaping the institutions in ways that benefit them everyday, all day. Until we redefine what citizens means, and value public, participatory life by everyone above most everything else, we will always abdicate the REAL shaping of the nation (as opposed to tthe voting, which is simply confirmation of one or the other choice presented to us as a result of that prior shaping effort) to others, and not to the people. Not to take you to task, but rather this notion; I know alot of people that, Strauss-like, see themselves as the informed, myth-making elite, and don't want the people really involved anyway. This reubkes that notion as much as the one that submits "democracy=voting." I mean, hell, Saddam had voting. PS all that being said, everybody who would vote Kerry had better damn well VOTE!!!
I live in a high-rise in Hyde Park, and the polling place is in our building. If I'm not mistaken, it serves pretty much only the building. There was no wait at all when the fiancee and I went in to vote. We got there at about 7:00 and were out in roughly 10 minutes. By the time we left, though, a small line had formed. It was quite effecient.
I'm not sure PA does provisional ballots. They didn't seem ready for that particular problem this morning (and there was one other guy in line just before us who had the same problem). As to the ID issue: It's a new state law that you have to show proof of ID to vote in PA, and it has to match the address on record. We might have old bills, though, or tax returns or cancelled checks, and that might help.
I voted Friday. But a co-worker called in and said he was running late. Voting took 1 1/2 hours. He said in 2000, he was in and out. He lives in a very rural area of NC. tbh, if the media are smart, they might know Kerry's gonna win by noon. If their exit polls are showing high turnout, esp. in precincts where alot of young people live (apartments, colleges) it's over.
According to this site, she should be allowed to cast a provisional ballot. http://www.lawyerscomm.org/ep04/ep0920/pennsylvaniapopup.html She can also call this number to ask questions: 1-866-OUR-VOTE