Posted on 11/02/2004 7:04:53 AM PST by pitbully
I am honored to represent the GOP today as a poll watcher in very conservative Riverside County, California. I have a hot line to FR and will post any newsworthy events on this thread as they occur. Please ask to be on a ping list if you like.
The DUmmies spent the last four years talking up the fact that Bush didn't win the popular vote. I think that shows that even votes in non-battleground states are important.
What that DUmmie doesn't know is that the GOP is poised to pick up a seat in Congress in the Bakersfield area. A good Pubbie turn out will also help us defeat bad props like 71 and 72.
It's my daughter's first time to vote this year. We are voting as a family here in Orange County this morning when she gets out of class.
I am starting orientation now and will report back in 2 hours at about 10:00.
There is a candle shop in Idyllwild, on Majestic Mt San Jacinto, where they sell a much publicized "Abundance Candle". The local paper has published several stories about huge successes when burning this candle, which has US coins embedded in it. The people who burned this candle had done so well, the story got around and the store can not hardly keep them in stock. I am burning this candle today on my GWB shrine, on the tallest mountain in the continental U.S., as it certainly can not hurt. Perhaps the images on the coins of Lincoln, Jefferson and Washington have a meaning other than money?
I posted this on the general thread as well but thought it would be of interest to people who might only be following this one.
I voted in my largely Democratic precinct, getting in at 7:05am. There were about 30 people in line ahead of me, and about five voting machines. It took about 23 minutes for me to vote straight republican and against all propositions that involved raising taxes or spending money.
There were no poll watchers or literature distributors around. No talk about politics at all.
We are now using ink voting instead of chads. In my opinion, it's much easier to determine whether you're pushing out a chad versus inking the space accurately. You also have to make sure the ink has dried before processing the ballot, or the ink will smudge, creating overvotes. One precinct worker suggested they make a hair dryer available next time, and everyone chuckled.
I checked my ballot and found that I had not fully filled in the slot for George W Bush, so I put it back into the machine and re-did it. I think it's very possible that ANY voting mechanism would have given problems in Florida's 2000 election.
I noticed that at the beginning of the election season a lot of Kerry/Edwards lawn signs went up, and very few Bush/Cheney signs. But in the last week or so I've noticed the same numbers of Kerry/Edwards but more Bush/Cheney joining them, both on cars and lawns. This might indicate increasing support for Bush, or it might be that Bush isn't as well organized around here.
It looks to me from the reports that the heavy enthusiasm for voting is on the Bush side, not the Kerry, despite all the widely-publicised hatred of Bush. I fully expect Bush to win the popular vote. Now let's see how he does in Florida and Ohio.
D
Ping me too!!
I live in Antioch-in northern CA. Going to vote soon. My polling place is a school, so want to wait until school starts to stay out of the traffic.
The poll watchers here in Riverside County do not get to the polls until about 10 am, after orientation. They do not stay at the polls but make a circuit of all the polls in the area continuously, checking on pre-decided criteria which is not disseminated until today.Pitbully is our poll watcher here and will post updates beginning at 10 am.
Just got in the office after voting in Huntington Beach this morning... heavy turnout. I got there right at the stroke of 7am and was about 25th in line. Got to vote around 7:30. Left at 7:40 - there were about 40 people in line when I left.
One of the four voting machines was down. Three of the four precinct officials weren't sure what to do. Fortunately, there was a 17-year old girl working the polling place in the High School Senior Internship Program, who knew exactly who to call - and had programmed the number into her cell phone. She was on the ball!!
Voted this AM in Mtn View (NoCal). I about 25th in line, new touch screen voting.
Lots of people reading their ballots WHILE voting. Uhh, c'mon people, get your ducks in a row and figure out which Prop to vote Yes or No on BEFORE voting.
Took me 1/2 an hour to get to vote (and about a minute to actually cast my vote), with 5 touchscreens. Should be interesting this evening.
Voted Straight ticket GOP. No problems, the polling people were very nice. Long Beach
Menlo Park, CA (Bay Area)... easy vote at 8:30am. We're still using those ballots where you connect the two ends of the arrow with a pen. It couldn't be easier, and I frankly see no reason to change, EXCEPT for the fact that it sucks if you make a mistake.
I think I'd prefer a "stateless" touchscreen system---that is, a touchscreen voting machine that produces a readable printed ballot, which is what is actually counted.
My California district is fairly conservative. I can report being in a nice looooong line early this AM. Hope this bodes well.
Heavy voting here in Ontario, CA at my local precinct (Prince of Peace Church on 5th). I got in line about 7:30 AM and there was already a line out the door.
Poll workers were checking ID, but of course none was required if you brought your sample ballot and information pamplet. The only problem I noticed was a vote ahead of me had received am absentee ballot and did not bring it. She was told that she would have to surrender that ballot if she wanted to vote in person. Of course she didn't bring it, and claimed not to know even where it was. She was told to call the San Bernardino County Election supervisors office.
BTW: San Bernadino/Riverside is BIG TIME Bush Country even more so then Orange County nowdays. Bush was leading by 20 points in polling in the Inland Empire!
Although it is an uphill fight for W here, there is a strong possibility that a new congressional seat for the Fresno-Bakerfield area will go Republican. Any one monitoring that here?
I'm in Corona & went to vote at 8:00 am. No line, only 4 other people voting & no problems at all. I was a bit shocked to see no one was in line. I did see a few Busy/Cheney stickers in the parking lot!
Keeping my fingers crossed & getting the champagne ready for a victory toast. :)
I went to my polling place in Newport Beach at 7:30 and didn't leave until 8:45. During the Davis recall it only took about 10 minutes.
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