early voting: a nonpartisan thread

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i've never early voted before, not even in early retirement. in my little district, i usually just vote mid morning or during work hours on election day with little to no delay. rarely more than three other voters there when i arrive. i pull up to the curb just feet from our community center entrance, innumerable volunteers greet me and tell me where to go (no, not like some of the posters here do), i do my voting thing with the entire process taking all of maybe 10 minutes at most.

but this year i'll be away on my little roadtrip so i'm utilizing early voting. this morning i arrived at the polling place, not my usual, but a centralized facility in a neighborhood art museum a just few miles from home. i got there at about 10 thinking they would start around 8 but they hadn't started as yet and the winding line was almost out the large building. i'll try again tomorrow as i had other things to do.

though i didn't care to hang out to vote this morning, hoping the lines won't be so bad later in the week, i was impressed with the first day turnout. estimates show that about 1/3rd of all florida voters take advantage of early voting. voting for more than a decade at my little precinct, i'd lost a feel for the shared importance of voter participation.

maybe if there's a line tomorrow i'll just hang out and wait my turn instead of trying again for the convenience of just breezing through when the place isn't so busy.

anyway, to the poll: how many take advantage of early voting or is voting on election day sacrosanct.

 

[Khan]

I'll vote early, Thursday or Friday.

 

[OAG]

Already have via Absentee Ballot. Have been doing it that way for a few years both in Florida and Ohio (not in the same year). Simple and you actually have time to study the issues and if you have questions you can usually go on-line and see the pros and cons including researching candidates. All from the comfort of your home.

 

[NotReady4Purple]

I mailed my mail-in ballot this weekend. (They are not calling them absentee ballots here anymore. They are encouraging folks to use mail-in ballots as the polling stations are expected to be overwhelmed.)

 

[Bestwifeever]

We're voting early for the first time since we'll be gone on election day--also physically going somewhere to vote. Not in Florida, but thanks lazy for the heads up on the possibility that we will encounter a long line!

 

[Coach]

I did a mail-in ballot last week. I love the convenience and the ability to relax and take my time. I called the election department this morning and they confirmed that they have received my ballot and that it has been "verified" -- my signature matched my registration.

Coach

 

[Goonie]

I normally go to our polling place around 6:30am on election day. I know many of the people that are there at that time....friends and neighbors.....and we get a chance to visit a bit. Besides we can get right in and right out at that time of day.

Usually they get busier starting a little after 7am until mid-morning, then again from 11:30am to about 1:30pm (lunch time)...then there's the afternoon lull until late afternoon when people are getting off work and kids are getting home from school. Our precinct usually has a very good turn out for almost every election.

I've voted absentee a couple of times when I was going to be on vacation or otherwise out of town. But I prefer to go to the polls on election day though, so on Nov. 4th, that's what I'll be doing! 8)

 

[redmcclain]

I voted early on Saturday and plan to spend election day driving people to the polls.

During the primary season I procrastinated and then had to vote with the crowds - what a mess! My polling location was changed without any notification and since it moved to a school I spent part of the morning trying to navigate my car between numerous buses, little children and hordes of parents dropping off their kids. Early voting is a breeze in comparison.

 

[kumquat]

I voted on election day, Oct. 14.

 

[TromboneAl]

I'm a permanent absentee, which coincidentally describes my state of mind.

I just mail it in whenever I'm ready. Very convenient.

 

[USK Coastie]

We've received our mail in ballots. I'll probably fill mine out in the next week or so. The county I live in went to a mail in ballot only, four years ago as a cost reduction measure. There are no polling places or electoral workers to pay for. Each party's representatives are present when the votes are processed (counted). Not much work for Acorn to do here.

 

[Westernskies]

I'll vote early and often, because this ACORN didn't fall far from the tree.

Actually, I like the experience of voting in person. Reminds me what a great country we have, and reinforces one of our most precious fundamental freedoms.

 

[toofrugalformycat]

I'm voting early in case I can help getting folks to the polls. Also, in this state it's public information whether or not you've voted yet, and it'll make the phone stop ringing with reminders to vote.

 

[Westernskies]

I'm voting early in case I can help getting folks to the polls. Also, in this state it's public information whether or not you've voted yet, and it'll make the phone stop ringing with reminders to vote.

Can i forward you a list of Anchorage Republicans who need rides?

 

[MichaelB]

We've mailed in our Florida absentee ballot, but given the august/september local primary elections, I have doubts they will be correctly counted.

I would have bet money that after 2000 and 2004, Florida elections handling had reached it's maximum incompetence. The lesson is never underestimate gov't incompetence.

Michael

 

[toofrugalformycat]

Can i forward you a list of Anchorage Republicans who need rides?

Thanks, but every time I go to Obama HQ to volunteer, they have more for me to do than I have time and energy for.
Most people up here are independents, anyway.

 

[cantlogin]

Where I live there is no early voting except for an absentee ballot. If you vote as an absentee you MUST leave town for the entire time that the polls are open.

 

[REWahoo]

I voted today - for a few dems, a few repubs and a few indies. I like to spread the wealth...

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

just back from the polls. went the the same place as yesterday but was over a 2 hour line. so i went to the county election office where a poll worker said i could get a mail in ballot.

"sorry, we don't hand out ballots here; we only mail them and we are behind point on that," i was told after i arrived. "but your poll worker said if i drove all the way here you'd have a ballot for me." blank stare. "ok then, when would you be able to get that to me?" i asked. "oh, probably not until sometime next week," she said; by which time i'll be on my roadtrip.

onward to the next early voting site, the main public library not far from county offices. not bad. $2 to park. just an hour long line. nice elderly poll worker handed me a number to hold my place in line in case i wanted to sit, put more money in the meter or use the bathroom. then the announcement: "our apologies but one of the printing machines has broken so your wait is going to be a little longer."

i chatted with two people in line, both of whom normally vote in their own district where voting is as easy as in mine. i joked how we now get to enjoy the full participation of the voting process including waiting for the privilege. we had a pretty good time, actually.

the lady directly behind me is early retired, just a year older than myself. she pays $1,400 month for private insurance for just herself, yikes. and she showed me cell phone pictures of grandfather mountain in autumn as viewed from the back porch of the property where she intends to eventually live, right off the blue ridge parkway and, coincidentally, right where i'll be for my road trip & the very reason why i was standing in line chatting with her at early voting.

 

[Surfdaddy]

Already sent it in.
In California, we have a lot of propositions. Some very noble sounding measures - high speed rail, kids hospitals, etc. I voted NO!!!!! on ANYTHING that involved bond measures - a fancy word for borrowing more money. The state already has way too much money. If those things are important enough then RE-PRIORITIZE!

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Already sent it in.
In California, we have a lot of propositions. Some very noble sounding measures - high speed rail, kids hospitals, etc. I voted NO!!!!! on ANYTHING that involved bond measures - a fancy word for borrowing more money. The state already has way too much money. If those things are important enough then RE-PRIORITIZE!

Oh yes. Thats what I really want to vote on.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

Already sent it in.
In California, we have a lot of propositions. Some very noble sounding measures - high speed rail, kids hospitals, etc. I voted NO!!!!! on ANYTHING that involved bond measures - a fancy word for borrowing more money. The state already has way too much money. If those things are important enough then RE-PRIORITIZE!

a few years back we had some sponsor flood florida with ads for a high rail system from miami to disney or some such garbage. it would have cost over $1 billion (i don't recall the exact figure but i recall it was very expensive). fortunately that vote was later overturned by the same electorate. Florida High Speed Rail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

after that, florida voted in a measure such that amendments effecting budgets must list costs, including (examples from current ballot)...

annual costs:

Shall the Charter be amended to create an advisory body to be known as the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

It is estimated that this amendment would result in an annual financial impact of approximately $72,000 in costs to Broward County. These costs are estimated to arise from annual administrative and legal support that would be provided by the County to the Metropolitan Transit Authority

periodic costs:

Shall the Charter be amended to provide for the use of an independent redistricting consultant to develop plans and implement appropriate standards for redistricting of the County Commission single-member districts?

It is estimated that this amendment would result in a financial impact of approximately $53,000 to $184,000 in Fiscal Year 2011, and an unquantifiable financial impact every ten (10) years thereafter.

one time costs:

Shall the Charter be amended to create a Broward County Ethics Commission for the specific purpose of preparing a Code of Ethics regulating the behavior of Broward County Commissioners, to be considered by the County Commission and/ or the electors of Broward County?

It is estimated that this amendment would result in a one-time, cost of approximately $73,000 to $100,000 to Broward County.

unknown costs:

Shall an environmental policy statement be added to the Broward County Charter clarifying the Broward County government’s duty to enact ordinances which protect its citizens’ right to a sustainable environment, including clean air and

clean water, while encouraging the stewardship of natural resources?

The financial impact of this amendment to Broward County cannot be determined. The financial impact of environmental sustenance ordinances, which have not yet been proposed or enacted, may not be estimated at this time. The financial impact may also not be estimated because the amendment does not contain a timeframe for the enactment of such sustenance ordinances.

and no costs:

Shall the Charter be amended to designate County-owned parks as either Natural Area Parks or Regional Parks, and to prohibit the sale, transfer or change of use of such parks without an affirmative vote of sixty percent (60%) of the County electors?

It is estimated that this amendment will have no financial impact to Broward County.

note: copied/pasted above from pdf file, can't seem to clean-up presentation.

 

[ziggy29]

If I still lived in the city, I'd be voting early. But there are never any lines out here in the boonies. We don't even have lines at the post office during lunch hour.

 

[W2R]

The lines here were over an hour long yesterday. Voters were told to arrive with a "Mardi Gras spirit, although we DO realize voting is serious!". They were told to wear comfortable clothes and shoes, to enjoy themselves, and to realize that lines were going to be very long and they wouldn't be in and out of there very fast. Handicapped would be ushered to the head of the line, and they were urged to vote early.

I'll take my chances on election day! Can't be much longer than that, I hope.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Our lines are usually pretty good. Ive rarely ever had to wait more than a couple minutes. We usually go about 7 at night.