Your Election Experience...

[MobBoss]

Decided to make a thread so folks could share their voting experience.

Mine was actually quite pleasant. I have voted in the same polling place for the last two years - a church hall about 3 miles from my home. Place had about 5 poll workers and about 10 people voting. I walked in, gave a lady my military ID card and she looked me up on the register. I signed it and was given a choice....paper ballot or use the touch-screen system. I said what the heck, lets go touch-screen. So, they have some type of card, about the size of a credit card that they hand me, and I give me the instructions on what to do. Very simple really. I just put the yellow card into the yellow slot and then follow the screen.

Ok, so I put the card in, and the screen just pops up with the first page of state initiatives and referendums. Small circles on the screen are simply labled "yes" or "no". Touch your finger to a yes button and it gets a check mark. I had studied up a bit prior to going in so I knew what I was voting on.
Fill that page out and touch an arrow that says "next page" at the bottom of the screen. Hit that and so on and so forth.

After about 6 pages of this or so the process is done. I am asked on the screen if I wish to review a paper copy of my vote. I say yes, and on the left hand side of the voting box, a glass encased printer prints off my ballot plainly showing my votes. I cant get a copy tho as the apparatus is encased in glass and the paper gathered in a roll that apparently goes with the machine when the votes are tallied and verified later.

I was in and out in less than 30 minutes. Others who were voting with paper ballots that had arrived before me were still there. It also seemed that most people preferred to use the touch-screen system as opposed to paper. Out of the 20 or so people who came in while I was voting, all but a small handfull opted to use the touch-screen systems.

I even voted for some democrats.....you know, those guys running un-opposed. All in all it was a very pleasant experience.

 

[Red Door]

I've been pacing around all night checking CNN.com, Fox News, and MSNBC looking for results. I wish I was able to vote.

 

[Trajan12]

I voted for Devos for Michigan Governor. My mom voted Grandholm. Thats gonna be an awkward discussion whenever I decide to visit. Most of mine were republican votes.

 

[capslock]

It was raining cats and dogs here, and the parking lot was full. I had to cross what seemed like the Amazon river running through the parking lot to get to the building. I got soaked and dripped water on my ballot. Fortunately, that wasn't a problem.

It only took me like 10 min despite the weather.

 

[JollyRoger]

Voted early in Texas - mainly for a mix of libertarians and dems. Even voted for one republican judge.

 

[Xanikk999]

Voted early in Texas - mainly for a mix of libertarians and dems. Even voted for one republican judge.

Wow your from texas? You must be the most liberal person in the whole state.

 

[GenMarshall]

It was actualy not raining. I voted during my lunch time. Basicly I went in, showed my ID, pulled the lever for the curtin (I voted in the mechanical voting machines), selected the canidates, and then pulled the lever for the curtin and to cast the vote and went on my merrily day .

 

[De Lorimier]

Wow your from texas? You must be the most liberal person in the whole state.

Just so you know, not everyone in Texas is a redneck driving a pickup truck to the sound of country music and there's people in Vermont who don't drive Subaru on their way to the gay marriage at the maple syrup factory.

 

[Xanikk999]

Just so you know, not everyone in Texas is a redneck driving a pickup truck to the sound of country music and there's people in Vermont who don't drive Subaru on their way to the gay marriage at the maple syrup factory.

Yah i was joking. But still its a very large majority of texans who are conservative.

 

[Riesstiu IV]

I sent in an absentee vote for Texas. I voted on a straight Democrat ticket… Not that it will make a difference.

 

[JollyRoger]

Just so you know, not everyone in Texas is a redneck driving a pickup truck to the sound of country music

Well, my neck is the color of my avatar and I drive a Ford pick-up while blaring the Dixie Chicks.

 

[A'AbarachAmadan]

Easy for me; did it almost two weeks ago. I get it in the mail and send it in. Have been voting that way my entire life; I've never been to a polling place. While in college, I absentee voted in my home town. And have been doing absentee voting my entire time in the military.

 

[Irish Caesar]

Voted absentee. Sent in my ballot last week. Voted for Republicans only, which meant that quite a few spots were left blank. Pretty easy.

 

[Ansar]

It was actualy not raining. I voted during my lunch time. Basicly I went in, showed my ID, pulled the lever for the curtin (I voted in the mechanical voting machines), selected the canidates, and then pulled the lever for the curtin and to cast the vote and went on my merrily day .

Interesting...

I wish I could have voted. Too young though.

 

[Shadylookin]

it went fairly smoothly, took about 10 minutes and had to chit chat with all the old ladies that know my parents. it's a bit of a drag to go to the polls and realize that I'm the only one under 75 voting. what are young people doing that's so important they can't take 10 minutes of there day to participate in democracy?

unfortunately for me however i had to vote mostly along party lines because I knew nothing of most of the candidates. We really need people running for local office to campaign, send a pamphlet, or something so that i know what they're going to do.

 

[emzie]

Voted absentee. The identification ballot said it was for the military so I ripped it in half to call for a new one. The director called me back and told me just to tape it together, as so long as it is legible -- military or not, it would count.

I hope it was counted.

 

[greenpeace]

lucky! You guys get to vote, I can't, so unfair.

 

[Tycoon101]

I was collecting data, and I was very displeased with the results I found. My entire ticket was swamped.

 

[bhsup]

Got there at 6:55am. No line to get the ballot, but there was a line for pens...yes, pens! Seems they were only assigned 9 of the special felt tip pins used on the optical scanner ballots, so after rapidly getting the ballot, I waited maybe five minutes for a pen to become available.

In short, a very easy and pleasurable voting experience.

 

[ummmm........]

I didn't vote for the first time ever. I almost feel guilty, but not quite.