Long Lines

[Rich Konopka]

Please Do Turn This into Political Thread or Post who you Support

I went to vote today at 11:15 and the lines were out the door and almost snaked around the corner. I vote at the local high school and the parking lot was pretty full with no classes today. I'm glad to see that more people are voting. I have never ever seen the lines this long. Some elderly people also commented on how long the lines were and they also have never seen them this long.

Are you seeing long lines at your local polling places?

[Chris Padilla]

Yes but not as bad (or is that good? :) ) as what you saw, Rich. Comparing to last year, there was A LOT more people (at least 2-3x) there right at the 7 am opening.

I got to the polling place (A Chrysler/Jeep dealership of all place but it is walking distance from my house) at 6:50 and was 5th in line. By 7, it had grown to 15 people. By 7:25 am when I left, it was at 25-30 people in line. I drive by this place on my way home so I'll take a peek this evening.

According to the head guy running the polling place, his precinct is scheduled to handle 700 people. Last time, he had 1500 and he said it was borderline chaotic.

Glad to see people coming out. The morning radio show had many callers saying the same thing about lines and how they've never seen so many people before. I think this is great!

I think we, as Americans, have two obligations:

(1) Vote
(2) Pay taxes...hahahahahaha :(

[Jerry Olexa]

Chris, I hope you took the "nose" off when you were voting! Here, LOML and I voted about 11AM and virtually no line and moved quickly. This is a small station and we were there @ a "slack" hour. Hope we can have a conclusion by late evening tonight!

[Glenn Clabo]

I thought I'd go and drink some coffee, enjoy the frosty air and wait for the doors to open about 15 minutes early. I was #24 in line with 70 behind me before the doors opened. When I was done the poll worker said there were more people waiting in line than they usually get before noon. Hope it means that there are more people voting...and not just trying to beat the rush.

[Ken Garlock]

In Texas we have early voting, so LOML and I went to the local community college and voted last Wednesday. Only one person in front of us. They have the new computer operated voting booth. Very easy, but I wll guess someone will work at doing it wrong :rolleyes:

[Rich Konopka]

Maybe if the the long lines continue they will consider voting on weekends or the early voting.

The whole world is watching us. I just saw a segment that all of the TV stations in Europe are going to cover the elections results live. Wow.

[Ian Barley]

Maybe if the the long lines continue they will consider voting on weekends or the early voting.

The whole world is watching us. I just saw a segment that all of the TV stations in Europe are going to cover the elections results live. Wow.

Rich

BBC here in the UK is covering everything live and not just on 24hr news channel. There reports are all about high voter turnout this time around.

[Michael Ballent]

I went to vote at 6:30am and there was already a line at my polling place. By the time I cast my ballot I was the 80th person to vote by 7am. Looks like it's going to be a busy one. When I went to primary there were very few people there to cast their ballots and a lot of canidates were decided during the primary :( I too hope that we do not have a repeat of the last time... It was too ugly.

[Jim Becker]

Arrived in line at 7:30a ET (polls opened at 7a in PA) and didn't get in the booth until 8a. I was number 151, so they were actually moving along pretty good. The line for my district was shorter than the line for the other one voting "downstairs" in the township building...that area has a lot of higher-density housing and the line was probably 300-400' long! Dr. SWMBO is working as a "get out the vote" volunteer today and has visited several polling places in the county. She indicated that turnout is huge everywhere.

[Keith Christopher]

The police were called in 2x to escort someone wearing a Kerry shirt out of the polling areas. "I didn't know it was illegal" *police points to BIG sign*

[Chris Padilla]

LOL...I thought everyone knew that:

"No campaigning within 100' of a polling place."

[Ted Shrader]

Interesting.... Jim Becker is the only poster (so far) from a battleground state. However, other folks are reporting a brisk turnout.

LOML was standing tall at 5:30 am (polls opened at 6:00 am) and was 38^th in line. By the time she got in, the line had grown to <125.

I went around 3 pm and waited behind three people in the "O-Z" line. There were four total "alphabet lines" when I was there. Only two this morning when LOML went.

After I put my card (yes, we use punch cards) through the counting machine, it registered 1800 ballots counted. (No I didn't win a prize :(). But the typical number about then (when I generally vote) is <1000. So there really is greater turnout.

Regards,
Ted

[Jim Barrett]

I voted about 2 weeks ago and sent my ballot in the mail. Great way to vote, from the couch!!


Jim

[Jim O'Dell]

I took last Friday off and did the Texas early voting thing. Got to the polling place about 1030. Didn't count people, but it took about 45 minutes to get through the process. There were about a dozen voting computers. When we left. the line was maybe 5 or 6 longer than when we came in. Did any of you have the no cell phone sign at the door? Jim.

[Jack Hogoboom]

I voted around 5:45 p.m. Sailed right through. Not a single person in front of me. I really thought i'd be standing around for an hour or more. Keep hearing that turnout is huge, but couldn't tell from my polling place.

Jack

[Joe Mioux]

I arrived at the polling place at 6:00am. This year all four Wards were in the same building, normally they are scattered through out the city. The lines were normal.

I have been voting in national political campaigns for 24 years and this one has been the most exciting. I love politics. The rivalry, the competition, the banter between the two parties is a good thing. People need to weed through the name calling, which is part of the process, and not be disscouraged by the process. Politicians have tough hides, unfortunately, sometimes I think they forget that we aren't as thick skinned. Politics is a tough business and God bless anyone who runs for an office.

Tomorrow we may have a new president or we may have validated the current president's direction and vision, for most of us it won't change our lives one bit.

Best Regards
Joe

[Dave Anderson NH]

I left work early to vote on the way home. In our little town of 4400 people (including kids) over 2000 ballots had been cast by 5PM. They only had 200 ballots left and were going to have to make more on the copier since the Secretary of States office didn't send the quantity they requested. The town moderator who is one of the election officials was expecting a turnout of over 95% though a former selectman guessed at only 91-92%. It'll be interesting to see how the voting percentage is statewide in tiny NH one of the major battleground states with a whopping 4 electoral votes. Voting is not a privelege, it's a DUTY.

[Tony Falotico]

Arrived at 10:20 this AM, cast my ballot and was on the road by 10:30. There is some benefit to living in a small town. Watching the polling places all day in comparison to previous elections turnout was HIGH. LOML went at about 4 PM, got out quicker than I did.

I am NOT prepared for battle, I'll accept the results whichever way it goes. The majority speaks. That's the AMERICAN way !

[Tony Falotico]

Tomorrow we may have a new president or we may have validated the current president's direction and vision, for most of us it won't change our lives one bit.

Well said Joe !

[Jim Becker]

CNN just reported that Florida is very thankful that they had the early voting process as there was no way they could have handled the turnout on a single day. That tells me two things: 1) Making it easier for folks to vote is good and 2) that the long-time appathy toward voting has affected the process when the jurisdictions don't have the ability to actually handle a "full" turnout. One has to wonder what would happen if voting were suddenly made "manditory"!!!

[Michael Stafford]

SWMBO and I went to vote at 6:30 and were 120 and 121 in line. Took about 40 minutes to get through, orderly and efficient.

[Bart Leetch]

I sat in my recliner & studied the voter information pamphlet & other information I have available to me & did my voting & punched out all the little holes & removed all the hanging chads about a week ago.

Absentee ballots are the only way to go.:D :D :D

[Kent Cori]

I'm from Florida where voting is the fastest growing participant sport! The wait when I arrived at 8:15 this morning was only about 15 minutes. It was about 20 minutes when I voted again at 10:30, only 10 minutes for my noon hour vote and about 25 minutes for my votes at 4:30, 6:00 and 7:15. Man I love this state! Now if I could just figure out who I actually voted for.:D :D :D

[Tony Falotico]

Now if I could just figure out who I actually voted for.:D :D :D

Way to go Kent... but sounds like you may have canceled your own vote three times, better go once more !!!! :D

[Jack Hogoboom]

Kent,

Very, very funny line. I might have to steal it. A much needed note of levity.

Jack

[Dan Mages]

It was pretty easy this morning at the library. I was in and out in 5 minutes. The only problem I had was a scum bucket at the front door of the library handing out literature for the challenger in the 8th district. Technically, this person was probably not in violation of electioneering laws, but it definately unethical.

Now if you will excuse me, I need to drive down to Chicago and stuff a few ballot boxes.

Dan

[Kent Cori]

Folks, please don't get upset at my previous post. Even though I voted six times, only four are likely to actually be counted. :p :) ;)

[Tony Falotico]

with 100% precincts in IN OUR COUNTY, Presidential vote 67% to 32% WE HAVE SPOKEN !! (all 24,972 of us!)

[Rich Konopka]

I'm from Florida where voting is the fastest growing participant sport! The wait when I arrived at 8:15 this morning was only about 15 minutes. It was about 20 minutes when I voted again at 10:30, only 10 minutes for my noon hour vote and about 25 minutes for my votes at 4:30, 6:00 and 7:15. Man I love this state! Now if I could just figure out who I actually voted for.:D :D :D

Kent,

You gave be the best laugh all day :D

Oh BTW, Do you know if they received your absentee ballots?? :D :D

Be Good

[Michael Ballent]

LOL...I thought everyone knew that:

"No campaigning within 100' of a polling place."
75 Feet in AZ

[Christopher Pine]

75 Feet in AZ

Yes and Arizona only State that keeps time correctly! I hate daylight savings!

Chris

[Ray Thompson]

We have a significant problem here. I called my neice about 9 and she could not get in the door on her way to work (6 am), they told her there was about an hour to hour and a half wait. So I called my sister about noon and she had just got home after two hours and twenty minutes. So I waited until about 2:30 and was told there was a two and a half to three hour wait, which is not an option with this bum leg so I went home.

The only explanation I got was that they combined two precincts with 6 total voting machines into one precinct with 4 machines. Numerous calls were made to the county for more machines but none were delivered. An absolute mess, both my neice and my sister reported numerous folks leaving without voting, and I saw the same thing.

This was my first time to vote in this area and it will be the last voting in person. Next time absentee for me.

Ray

[John Miliunas]

Sometimes, living in rural America is nice. Pretty big area, but not heavily populated. Still, I left work @ 1/2 hour early, because LOML helps out one of the neighboring farmers and has to be there at a specific time. Stopped at home, picked her up and went to the polling place. No probs at all. There was all of one person in front of me and that was the LOML! :D Took longer to drive there and back than it did to vote! Still, we were told that there was a good turnout throughout the day, with plenty more time left after we were done. :cool:

[Michael Ballent]

Yes and Arizona only State that keeps time correctly! I hate daylight savings!

Chris
It's pretty nice not having to worry about daylight savings time... but it wreaks a havoc with my Dish Network DVR... Everything that is scheduled on the cable channels (History, DIY, HGTV etc) moves back an hour... but at least I do not have to change all the clocks in the house, watch, car, cell phone, etc ;) Besides we get enough sunshine during the summer months. :D

[Earl Reid]

We went to vote at noon, no line, one couple came in , but couldn't vote , their regstrations had expired 3 yrs ago. There were some polititions standing outside, I gave them all a pep talk about the Pen for Freedom project. I collected a donation from all of them. That made my day. :) :) ;)
Earl

[Martin Shupe]

We went to vote at noon, no line, one couple came in , but couldn't vote , their regstrations had expired 3 yrs ago. There were some polititions standing outside, I gave them all a pep talk about the Pen for Freedom project. I collected a donation from all of them. That made my day. :) :) ;)
Earl

Way to go Earl!!!

We have early voting in Texas. I like it. I went the afternoon of the first day. There was a line, but not long. They said the early voting line in the morning of the first day wrapped all the way around the courthouse. We have electronic voting, so no hanging chads to worry about.

[Ernie Hobbs]

I was quite frustrated with my experience yesterday. I went by the polling place at a local church at about 7:00 AM. There were was a long line of cars waiting to get in. I figured I'd go back when the folks going to work cleared out. I returned at 10:00 to see a line out the door of the building several hundred yards. I got in line for about an hour and a half. When I got up to the building, I learned that there was a line about twice as long snaked all through the church. People coming out said it took them about three hours to get through, once they were up to the door. Unfortunately, I had to catch a flight and had to be at the airport by 11:45. Since I'm in Alabama, my vote for Bush wouldn't have added much to the impact of the election so I left. If I was in a swing state, I would have changed my flight. I was depressed all afternoon and felt like I didn't do my civic duty in voting. I'm kind of a political junkie and I take this stuff very seriously. Next year, I will make sure to do an absentee ballot (no early voting in Alabama), since I travel too much to guarantee I'll be there. I was cheered up, once the results started coming in and saw that there weren't any close elections that I could have had much effect on.

Ernie Hobbs
Madison, AL

[Steven Wilson]

There were long lines at my precinct most of the day. Our election judge brought in a bunch of tables to allow folk's to fill in their ballot at a table if they wanted (optical scan paper). Overall it looks like we'll have 78% participation.

[Tony Falotico]

for boldly stepping forward and doing the right thing today.

(Submitted with Respect)