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(Vanity) How Are Things At Your Polling Place?

Posted on 11/07/2006 9:55:15 AM PST by TBP

What are the conditions at your polling place? How is turnout? The weather? The voting equipment? Was checking in easy? Were there people outside electioneering? if so, who was there, Republicans or Democrats or others?

At my polling place, thigns were slow when my wife and I went to vote about 8-ish. One of the few guys passing out literature (for the newly-Republican State Senator inmy district) was saying that the turnout had been very low. (I'm going to go over there later and see how it's going.) The only people electioneering were two guys handing out literature for the Republican and Democrat candidates for the State Senate in my district and one guy working for a candidate for county office in my district. Nobody from either side of the gubernatorial or Senate races.

The weather is good. It's in the 50s and clear. No precip expected.

We have new Diebold touch-screen machines this year. They're easy to use. But where is the paper trail? How do you recount if you need to? They felt the need to put up a big sign announcing that the electronic voting is secure and it's illegal to tamper with it. We have electronic check-in too. I'm not sure I entirely trust it; it's a blue state, after all.

I grew up on lever machines and know how they can be compromised, but I miss them. At least I had a curtain so nobody could walk by and look at how I am voting.

Let's track this all day and see how it's trending.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: electioneering; victory06; vote
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To: Son House

Welcome to Free Republic!


141 posted on 11/07/2006 12:36:30 PM PST by Quilla
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To: TBP

*GRIN* That's classic; I remember oh so well from my Santa Monica days.

I still live in Los Angeles County, in a HEAVY lib area. I was about #12 in line at 7:05 a.m. (6 were already voting).

My voting experience was somewhat comical. First of all, those cardboard "booths" are SO flimsy. Then, once you insert your paper ballot into the slot, you stick the inker thingy in the holes in the middle. They did not exactly align and, also, the inky thing would get stuck in the hole so, when I pulled it out vigorously the whole booth would shake and shimmy. Also, this un-sticking procedure made a distinct sound.

So, there I was, making popping noises and trying to keep my booth upright... ahem... *sigh.* Oh well.

Then at the end I removed my stub and inserted my ballot feet first into a machine, got my sticker and left. It's not the same feeling as the old days, when we had real booths, spaced apart for privacy and punch-card ballots. And when polling places were totally quiet.

Said upthread how I voted.


142 posted on 11/07/2006 12:40:39 PM PST by La Enchiladita (God bless America, Land that I LOVE...)
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To: TBP

Is anyone noticindg a patternhere. It seems that for the most part, those of you in GOP precincts are reporting pretty good turnout but FReepers in Democrat precincts are reporting lighter turnout.

Taht sounds liek a good sing for the GOP.


143 posted on 11/07/2006 12:40:54 PM PST by TBP
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To: SengirV
Northern Virginia - Nice steady flow of folks. Had the option of paper or electronic(only one machine however). Chose paper and saw 15 people(5 booths) vote by paper in the time it took one to vote eletronically.

Sounds like we might be in the same precinct. I had the choice of paper or electronic (which I thought was strange) there was only 1 machine and a line of half-dozen or so people waiting to use it. There were 5 booths for paper voting, all of which were in use, but no line waiting. I choose paper, the whole thing took about 7 minutes and most of that was reading the ballot. The only questionable part was that they did not provide the privacy envelope that they use to with the paper ballots.

144 posted on 11/07/2006 12:42:02 PM PST by usapatriot28
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To: TBP
What are the conditions at your polling place?

My polling place is a medium size United Methodist chruch (~400-450 members, IIRC). It's a very nice facility with ample parking and four police officers directing traffic. The parking lots were about 1/3 full at 7:30 this morning. They use the large dinning hall for voting. Approximately 75 people can vote at one time.

How is turnout?

Good at 7:30 this morning, when I voted (straight R). There were a few places open, so I didn't have to wait. There were another 30 or so people signing in when I left.

The weather?

Cool in the 50's with light, steady rain.

The voting equipment?

Paper ballots are used here.

Was checking in easy?

Yes. And we have to show a photo ID.

Were there people outside electioneering?

Noone at 7:30 this morning.

145 posted on 11/07/2006 12:42:42 PM PST by EdReform (The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed -- * NRA * -- * JPFO *)
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To: usapatriot28

I guess we don't have the same precinct, because we had the 20 year old dog eared privacy envelopes at mine.


146 posted on 11/07/2006 1:08:19 PM PST by SengirV
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To: cricket

Yes


147 posted on 11/07/2006 1:09:28 PM PST by navysealdad
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To: TBP
It's been raining all day. I finally put my coat on and struck out at 1430. After a short walk, I stood in line (indoors, thankfully) for 15-20 minutes before signing in. There was a bar code missing from my entry in the register, an anomaly the election officials had never seen before. I suggested it might be because I was a first-time Michigan voter and registered by mail (therefore technically supposed to show ID to vote), but the lady dismissed it, making a note and sending me on.

We used optical ballots; fill in the bubble, do not make an X, etc. Southeast Michigan Republicans tend to be fairly liberal -- no offense guys, but it's how I see it -- so I had to send a few carefully-targeted "message" votes by voting Libertarian. The most liberal "Republican" of all, an admitted wannabe Democrat, race-baiter, and class-baiter ... well, I swallowed down my vomit and voted for her. Just to try to get a party majority in the state house. But I doubt she'll win, as she seems to have stopped campaigning back in September, after insulting her constituency and her party.

148 posted on 11/07/2006 1:09:49 PM PST by Caesar Soze
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To: La Enchiladita
It's not the same feeling as the old days, when we had real booths, spaced apart for privacy and punch-card ballots. And when polling places were totally quiet.

That's so true ~ it used to be almost reverent, with quiet respect, like a library.

At my poll, there were several empty electronic booths, while many tried to find space to fill out hand marked ballots.

What an odd feeling, wondering if your ballot will be counted accurately.

149 posted on 11/07/2006 5:08:17 PM PST by b9 ("the [evil Marxist liberal socialist Democrat Party] alternative is unthinkable" ~ Jim Robinson)
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To: TBP
I got harassed exiting the polling place, harassed about charges that had been dropped or ammended in a criminal case. It was a ex candidate from a past election that had ran against me, that had said this. Stated this as if it was a fact that there was a conviction for a specific charge that he stated as it was entirely false, it was a attempt to embarrass me within 20 feet of the voting place doors. And even stated "I am surprised to see you would even show your face here". It would seem to me thats a attempt to harrass a voter into not going to vote?
150 posted on 11/07/2006 5:32:35 PM PST by msgtusarmy
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To: TBP

Thankfully almost deserted. Mine is a highly dem precinct. Looks like the rain kept them away.


151 posted on 11/07/2006 5:38:51 PM PST by Sue Perkick (The true gospel is a call to self-denial. It is not a call to self-fulfillment..John MacArthur)
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To: TBP

Boxborough, MA, town of about 5,000, one precinct.

Voted at 4:45 PM, smallish line, chilly, overcast, no rain. Congenial atmosphere inside.

I figger the town will go 65-35 Democrat. Oh, well.


152 posted on 11/07/2006 5:41:59 PM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (The hallmark of a crackpot conspiracy theory is that it expands to include countervailing evidence.)
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