Comments on: So, how was it for you? (Share your voting stories!)

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:49:51 +0000

Thlayli – are you in NY? I looooove the NY voting machines. Also yay for Watership Down username, but I digress.

Anyway, me. New Rochelle, NY. Very short line. My best mate is voting today, too–last time we spoke about it, he hadn’t been planning to because he’s generally cynical about politics and said his vote wouldn’t make a difference in New York anyway, but he’s since decided to, and not as the lesser of two evils, but as a positive choice. I’m so proud of him.

I’m underage by a few months, but I went to vote with my mum. The polling place is at my old middle school, and when we came in, I saw the lady security guard who was basically everyone’s mother when we went there. (quote her: “When you walk in that door, you are my children.”) I explained to her that I was here to pull the lever with my mum, and she said “Go and make history.” I teared up instantly. This day makes me so sentimental.

By: Jo

Jo — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:00:27 +0000

I voted by absentee a couple weeks ago, so today wasn’t super exciting. However, I sat down to fill out my ballot about 3 1/2 weeks ago, and then, before voting, had a long conversation with my sweetie and roommate about whether or not I wanted to vote for McKinney/Clemente. I’d been going back and forth on it, because I’m excited about Obama and have been volunteering with the campaign in New Hampshire (I’m living in Boston), but I definitely am more aligned with Cynthia McKinney’s politics, and I would love to expand our 2-party system.

Eventually, I decided to vote for Obama.

So, I start to bubble in my ballot, being very careful to use black ink and not bubble outside of the lines. I finish, and with pride and satisfaction look down at my ballot… only to realize that I accidentally filled in the bubble for Nader, who was right next to Obama. WOOPS.

I got a new ballot in plenty of time, though, and vote correctly that time around.

I also bubbled very forcefully yes for 1A (high speed rail), and 5 (a step in the right direction to reform California’s criminal justice system, and it decriminalizes marijuana), and very forcefully NO on 4 and 8.

Today, in Massachusetts, I stopped to talk to a woman with her retired greyhound who was doing visibility for a dog racing-related initiative here, and got to feel a little bit more like I was involved in today’s voting excitement. I think I might go out to some of the polls in and around where I live in Boston (JP, Roxbury, Dorchester) and give people cookies, because I hear the lines are long.

Yay voting! And Jack, I’m SO with you on IRV.

By: Thlayli

Thlayli — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:54:10 +0000

Got there about 6:30AM. Only one person in front of me.

We have the old-school machines with the little levers by each name and the big red *ker-SHUNK* one at the bottom.

I didn’t bother with any of the judges — with all the cross-endorsing, what’s the point?

My polling place is an elementary school, so the kids always have a bake sale. I got a muffin on the way out. That’s the best part ;)

By: mamab

mamab — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:51:25 +0000

Voted last week, as we have voting centers in Indiana and could vote through Sunday at one of these places. Had about a 20 minute wait and it did not take me long to vote a straight Republican ticket. Today is just another day–or at least until about 9 or 10 tonight when I am sure Obama will be declared as the next president. I am anxious about his presidency but will try to support his appointees and his programs. Time will tell how his presidency goes. Either way, God Bless America.

By: eli bishop

eli bishop — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:33:39 +0000

i voted a little over a week ago. in oregon, you get your ballot via mail, so i sat down with the laptop and a whole sheaf of different voter guides & endorsements. did the first round of bubbles based on who i knew i wanted, then did another round based on endorsements, and then looked up info about the water & soil conservation board candidates. i could have just put it in the mail at that point, but i wanted to drop it off at a collection point. i kissed it, said, “please let this work. please let this work.” took a deep breath and let it fall into the slot. tonight we’ll have an election party w/ apple pie. tomorrow… we’ll see.

By: Sara

Sara — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:05:31 +0000

I voted at the university in town on Friday. There was a line but I was in and out in under 10 minutes. I voted electronically this year for something different. My husband voted by mail I had a chance to look at the ballot before I went. In my city in Colorado, we don’t have assigned precincts. You can vote anywhere in the city. It is nice and takes the pressure off the busier areas. There was a news report on Friday that over half of eligible CO voters had already cast their ballots. That was good to hear.

My mother in law is an election judge this year and said she only had 300 people left to vote in her precinct.

By: catswym

catswym — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:52:32 +0000

cara– I didn’t call, but she said that they eventually got it figured out and gave her a ballot. According to the article they seem to have it figured out (I think).

By: Ana

Ana — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:15:00 +0000

Thank you, Semaphore & Kate. I did call 866-OUR-VOTE, and the person I spoke to told me that nobody is supposed to ask for your party affiliation at any point while you’re in the polling station (at least in New York). So I did report it. Thanks again for the push!

By: Mary

Mary — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:58:23 +0000

I voted absentee in MA. I did find the instructions for the envelope to be very confusing. I can’t remember the question exactly, but it was something about where I cast my vote. Did they mean my home town or where I was at that very moment? I wish there was an explanation for that.

By: Elaine Vigneault

Elaine Vigneault — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:38:45 +0000

I did early voting. I went to a local grocery store, stood in line for about 5 minutes, voted and then shopped for groceries :)