Voting experiences today?

[Goonie]

According to local newspaper report, the County Clerk in our county said, "Voter turnout was at 52 percent in La Salle County for Tuesday's midterm elections. A total of 35,677 ballots were cast in the county out of 67,532 registered voters." Not too bad for a mid-term election.

 

[prudent_one]

I work as a Judge of Elections at one of our polling places. Turnout was heavier than expected (for us, about 40% of the registered voters showed up). Our district skews towards older folks so we had a couple of people goof up their ballot. One woman asked how to complete her ballot (and we're not allowed to touch anything, just coach them) so I explained she should use the touchscreen to make her selections, then push the big red VOTE button. Then she immediately pushed the big red button, before choosing any candidates. Then she said "Oh, I shouldn't have done that, right?" When I explained she had completed her ballot, she got indignant and insisted she should get another turn and wouldn't leave until I called the county election officials and had them explain it.

Another voter asked how to vote a straight party ballot for most of the candidates. I didn't even know how to answer that.

First-time voters must provide ID and one of the new voters had none and claimed ignorance of that requirement. I gently pointed out that his voter registration card he received mentioned that ID would be required. His answer was that he would go home and get his ID, but it would take him a little while since he walked from his home. Would I mind staying open 15 minutes past closing time until he got back? Sorry, we can't do that! We have to close at exactly 8 PM (if people are in line at 8, they get to vote).

 

[haha]

I am always puzzled by the joy that people express when there is a high voter turnout.

Most of us who are responsible and self sufficient are better off with a lower voter turnout. The further we get from democracy without letting anyone notice the better off we are.

Ha

 

[ls99]

I am always puzzled by the joy that people express when there is a high voter turnout.

Most of us who are responsible and self sufficient are better off with a lower voter turnout. The further we get from democracy without letting anyone notice the better off we are.

Ha

+1

 

[travelover]

I am always puzzled by the joy that people express when there is a high voter turnout.

Most of us who are responsible and self sufficient are better off with a lower voter turnout. The further we get from democracy without letting anyone notice the better off we are.

Ha

I find your candor refreshing. The hollow argument about preventing voter fraud gets tiresome.

 

[ERD50]

I sense some broad-brush statements here, with a tinge of self-righteousness thrown in for good measure.

As I see it, there is voting and there is voting, and there is not-voting and there is not-voting.

Let's say I review my ballot ahead of time on-line, or through a mailing. I see there are no referendums (or none I care about one way or the other), there are no seats where I feel one candidate is any better/worse than the other. Fueled with this information, I decide not to waste the gas to go vote. In some small way (and maybe a larger way than a puppet voter), I am expressing my disdain with both candidates with a non-vote.

Someone else may walk into the polling place, do no homework whatsoever, and vote based on who knows what, likely voting the 'wrong way' on some referendum that might be worded in a complex way (we had one with about 3 negatives stacked, you really has to study it to understand what a "yes" or "No" vote meant). So this person gets to brag that they performed their civic duty, and their opinion carries more weight than mine? I don't agree. Looks more like Kabuki theater to me.

-ERD50

 

[davemartin88]

Quick and painless. No ID needed, just signed the register. According to the instructions for voting on our local website, you can vote a straight ticket, then change the votes where you wanted to vote for a different party. I guess you could call that voting "mostly" a straight ticket?

I really don't have an issue with folks who choose not to vote, I wish more of the people that don't agree with me would stay home on election day.

 

[Midpack]

Only took a few minutes, but then it's a midterm, with the electorate probably busier and/or less interested than in the past - so I wasn't expecting any lines. Reportedly only 36.6% of eligible voters showed up.

Midterm Turnout Decreased in All but 12 States - US News

They asked for my photo ID for the first time this year, even though photo IDs became a requirement in 2005 in our state...

 

[sengsational]

ERD50, I agree with everything in your post.

... Fueled with this information, I decide not to waste the gas to go vote. In some small way (and maybe a larger way than a puppet voter), I am expressing my disdain with both candidates with a non-vote.
...

As for expressing disdain, staying home is one option. Another way to do that is to go and vote for someone who isn't "in the club", like the Liberatarian, or a write-in of your choice. Members of the established parties might actually do what's right for the electorate if they see that Mickey Mouse starts getting a higher and higher percentage of the vote as years go by.

 

[InTheSticks]

I waited until 6:30, our poles close at 7. There was one person in line in front of me. It took about 5 minutes.

 

[ls99]

I waited until 6:30, our poles close at 7. There was one person in line in front of me. It took about 5 minutes.

Did not know poles collected votes

I confess I do make lots of spelling errors.

As for voting, I did, I was the only one in line, after giving name had choice of two electronic voting machines.

THough after reading an article, it seems voting is really a futile exercise. In PA seems Philadelphia and Pittsburgh decides, all others gnash their teeth.

In the below article it explained why any ONE vote is irrelevant.

"
The election season is when we most often hear hosannas to democracy. Every public figure, including supposedly hardboiled news people, urges us to vote. "Every vote counts," they say.
Balderdash.
As the late Gordon Tullock explains, "It's more likely that you'll get killed driving to the polling booth, than it is that your vote will change the outcome of the election." Think about the elections you voted in. Not one would have turned out differently had you done something else that day."


Election 2014 Is Over. Here's Why Your Vote Didn't Really Matter - Reason.com

 

[sengsational]

That's a good link from Reason.com. Some one-liners:

Both parties have a vested interest in the essential status quo, whatever their differences at the margin.

"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods."

The people in Washington aren't our representatives. They are our rulers.

I'm surprised they didn't say that "safe-seat gerrymandering" makes your vote not count. Or rather, where you live means you automatically have to "support" the candidate that the district was drawn for.

I proposed a "when pigs fly" solution: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f52/how-do-you-vote-73961-3.html#post1503961
that might help, but it will never happen.
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f52/how-do-you-vote-73961-3.html#post1503961

 

[haha]

I find your candor refreshing. The hollow argument about preventing voter fraud gets tiresome.

No, you are putting words in my mouth. You have your ID checked to buy cigarettes, why not to vote?

Voting is a privilege reserved for citizens, and we are only allowed to vote once.

Anyone who wants to vote can certainly meet the minimum requirement to present a valid ID. Or should we be the only country in the world that openly countenances voter fraud?

Ha

 

[travelover]

No, you are putting words in my mouth. You have your ID checked to buy cigarettes, why not to vote?

Voting is a privilege reserved for citizens, and we are only allowed to vote once.

Anyone who wants to vote can certainly meet the minimum requirement to present a valid ID. Or should we be the only country in the world that openly countenances voter fraud?

Ha

Sure, and let's not forget ending Sunday after church voting, mail in voting and advance voting - all in the name of stopping this epidemic of voter fraud. At least you admitted that you don't think everyone deserves a vote.

 

[RE2Boys]

Spent 14 hours tending a voting machine on Tuesday, saying the same thing to about 300 folks that came in. Had a good turn-out in our district, about 50%.

 

[haha]

Sure, and let's not forget ending Sunday after church voting, mail in voting and advance voting - all in the name of stopping this epidemic of voter fraud. At least you admitted that you don't think everyone deserves a vote.

Wrong again. You either cannot read, or cannot interpret what you read, or enjoy distorting others' opinions.

This is America, every eligible voter deserves a vote. Not more than one, and ineligible voters do not get any vote.

I commented on turnout. Well informed, at least moderately intelligent voters always vote. They are not responsible for the fluctuations in voter turnout. People who pay no attention and rarely vote, only vote when their emotions are aroused

Go over and listen to the interviews of Texas Tech university students.

Do you feel better when there is a heavy turnout of these voters?

And now, onto ignore you go!

 

[travelover]

...........The further we get from democracy without letting anyone notice the better off we are.

Ha

Wrong again. You either cannot read, or cannot interpret what you read, or enjoy distorting others' opinions.
..........

And now, onto ignore you go!

I'm so sorry. Rereading the above, I don't know how I could have possibly misunderstood you.

 

[Walt34]

I really don't have an issue with folks who choose not to vote, I wish more of the people that don't agree with me would stay home on election day.

I wish for that too.

 

[Nodak]

ND is now an ID required state but we still don't have voter registration.

 

[MBSC]

Another voter asked how to vote a straight party ballot for most of the candidates. I didn't even know how to answer that.

That is how I vote. I touch the screen for "straight party" and then for a few of the local offices touch the name of the candidate that is not highlighted to update my ballot. It saves time.

Our polls opened at 7:00am and I arrived at 8:30am. I was the 128th person to vote, which seemed good for a midterm election, but the precinct finished with a 42% participation rate.

 

[ERD50]

Sure, and let's not forget ending Sunday after church voting, mail in voting and advance voting - all in the name of stopping this epidemic of voter fraud. At least you admitted that you don't think everyone deserves a vote.

I'm so sorry. Rereading the above, I don't know how I could have possibly misunderstood you.

I think you are misinterpreting what haha said.

I take it that it is his opinion that we would be better off if fewer uninformed voters cast a vote (and I think that is a reasonable statement). And that does imply that we would be moving further away from a 'pure' democracy. I did not see where he said anyone should be denied a vote. I think you put those words in his mouth, and he rightfully objected.

-ERD50