Posted on 11/06/2006 8:09:25 PM PST by ARCADIA
In West St. Louis county, our polls just opened. No rain, but fog as thick as pea soup.
I voted here in Richmond; I live in a very heavily Republican area (Bush got over 70% of the vote in 2004). I was #83 at 6:30AM, and the pace of voting was brisk (big line behind me). Overall I was impressed with how many folks were already out at that time of the morning.
Here's my brief report on what I saw with Georgia's Advance Voting last Monday:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1728963/posts?page=20#20
And some followup here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1728963/posts?page=28#28
I have carefully thought over what I saw, and I finally realized what my first impression of the crowd was...
"These are all talk radio listeners."
So the Republican base is motivated- highly motivated. At least down here in the swamps of Georgia.
Stay tuned... it's going to be a wild ride. But I think we will prevail.
I was at the polls when they opened, we live in a small town....about 5 others were there, and my comment about being a Republican and only voting once got a laugh.....
I live in the 8th District of VA (Moran). Our precinct is heavily D, but there were a lot of R sample ballots in line, more than I thought there would be.
Lines were long, but it was the pre-work rush (0745). I'd say it was heavy, but not as heavy as 2004.
Vote!
I didn't make note of the "brand" of machine I voted on - but it was one of the touch screens that were first used in the primaries this year. In the time I was there, the poll workers had to call back several people to "finish" their voting. I gather that these people made all of their selections, viewed the reveiw screen and then began to walk away without pushing the red "vote" button that actually casts the ballot. FWIW, the set-up they had going made it easy to catch this and then catch the voter before he/she could get out of the room.
We use touch screen voting, and the screens are easy to use (large print, bright colors) and I voted straight R, with the exception of a local Libertarian running for a township office as an L because he couldn't get on the Republican ballot in time during the primaries.
Because I did that, I noticed that the screen takes whoever you vote for first (in my case Lugar) and casts all remaining votes as R's. To scratch, you have to find the name you wish to vote for and touch that name.
Since Lugar is at the top of the ticket running unopposed (tactical mistake by the democrats) I imagine we will get a few more votes for R's because of this. In fact, I heard a complaint on the radio indicating to me that the voter didn't understand how to vote a split ticket, even though there are instructions posted everywhere!
No problems around here, but up in Marion County (Julia Carson's district) they are claiming that about a third of the machines are malfunctioning and they have called in "technicians". Meanwhile, voters who don't want to wait are being given paper ballots, which no doubt will be sorted and Republican votes discarded. I am a trifle cynical about democrat honesty, needless to say.
I would encourage people to vote as early as possible, so that time is allowed if there are problems. And for goodness sake, if you see something fishy, call the authorities!
I won't be part of the dawn patrol, I'm usually not. I am part of the first strike FReepers who vote about two to three weeks early via absentee ballot. As such, I don't get to see what new deviltry the elections people have in store at the precincts.
Went to vote early today. Walked from my home at 5:18 am to get to my polling place, got in at 5:40 am. Was the first person in, the local school building. Said good morning to the young man who I know from my parish church. Right before the polls opened at 6:00 am, there was a line of people, one a mother bringing her children in with her. Had told folks if they need help with voting using the new computer voting, I had the instructions from Sunday's newspaper. My homestate CT is testing the new voting machines. I had to admit I was a bit on the nervous side, but now I can look back, seeing that after my voting ballot placed sucessfully as the 39th ballot in the computer machine. Today I made not only history but was a pioneer in the new voting process. My hometown was one of 25 testing towns.
Sadly, there is good reason to be concerned. One of the races we voted for is a "do over" because the previous election was thrown out due to election fraud. (Dead voters, double votes, etc, multiple arrests of election workers.) The winner in that last election (Harold Ford, Jr's aunt) won by only 12 votes, however there were dozens of fake votes causing the state to throw out the results and hold a new vote.
PS : Partly cloud today in East Hartford, CT.
Hi - I just got back from the polls (South Florida). Basically a decent turnout, you had to wait but not too long. A mixture of gays and old people, along with angry looking families. There wasn't much conversation, but the families tended to look angry and brought their children.
The gays looked happy, the old people confused and families angry.
It took the poll worker a while to get my machine to work. There is no evidence of my vote whatsoever, other than a slip of paper I signed.
Voted at 10 AM here in Beavercreek, OH. No lines, mostly middle age and old foggys like me voting. All of the machines were full. Several precincts voting at Peace Lutheran. Light rain - supposed to break this afternoon.
Wifey and I voted this AM - nice to NOT see Cynthia McKinney's name on the ballot in our district! We voted for the GOP candidate, a conservative black woman who won't win. Voted straight GOP in addition to that. Our precinct is always sparse in attendance. Staffed by little ol' ladies who were having a real hard time with all the new computerized stuff. Swiped my Diebold card into the Diebold machine and left the rest up to Rove!
The People's Democratic Republic of Austin.
First Strike FReeper! I like that!
Should not be watching these programs, too many others to choose from.
Ha-ha! Rain in the Northeast and Northwest. Fog in parts of the Rust Belt. Clear skies over Middle America! Sadly, California, too. No matter. VOTE!!!
Just got back from voting...
I just moved, so this was ther first time in this particullar location.
It was in an inner city location, so I was expecting long lines of Dems.
Oddly enough, there were more old people playing BINGO in the next room than people voting. The place was pretty empty.
They had one of those "evil" touch-screen devices set up, and I got the option of using it. Since I felt awkward just standing there, I opted to use it.
It was pretty easy, a little slow through. Voted straight GOP (Go DeVos!), got my ballot back and feed it into the machine and got my sticker from the old guy next to it.
I was voter #123. For this district, down the street from the welfare office, thats not a good sign for Democrats.
All Your Weather ARE Belong To Us!
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