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View Poll Results: how are you ballot-oriented?
i will be voting early 25 32.05%
i vote on election day 31 39.74%
i'll mail an absentee ballot 20 25.64%
what, me vote? 2 2.56%
Voters: 78. You may not vote on this poll

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early voting: a nonpartisan thread
Old 10-20-2008, 04:03 PM   #1
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early voting: a nonpartisan thread

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.
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Old 10-20-2008, 04:13 PM   #2
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I'll vote early, Thursday or Friday.
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Old 10-20-2008, 04:19 PM   #3
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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.
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Old 10-20-2008, 04:43 PM   #4
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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.)
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Old 10-20-2008, 04:48 PM   #5
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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!
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Old 10-20-2008, 04:53 PM   #6
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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.

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Old 10-20-2008, 04:58 PM   #7
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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)
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Old 10-20-2008, 05:08 PM   #8
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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.
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Old 10-20-2008, 05:23 PM   #9
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I voted on election day, Oct. 14.
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Old 10-20-2008, 05:30 PM   #10
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I'm a permanent absentee, which coincidentally describes my state of mind.

I just mail it in whenever I'm ready. Very convenient.
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Old 10-20-2008, 06:08 PM   #11
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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.
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Old 10-20-2008, 11:14 PM   #12
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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.
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Old 10-20-2008, 11:15 PM   #13
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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.
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Old 10-20-2008, 11:19 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by toofrugalformycat View Post
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?
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Old 10-21-2008, 08:34 AM   #15
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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.

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Old 10-21-2008, 11:08 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by Westernskies View Post
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.
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Old 10-21-2008, 02:04 PM   #17
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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.

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Old 10-21-2008, 02:09 PM   #18
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I voted today - for a few dems, a few repubs and a few indies. I like to spread the wealth...
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Old 10-21-2008, 03:41 PM   #19
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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.
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Old 10-21-2008, 11:44 PM   #20
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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!
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