Your election day experience

**Big War Bird** · November 04, 2008, 03:57 PM

The title is self explanatory, share your election day experience.

For me I went to the a nearby technical school to vote. While waiting in line I listened to two women talk about the election. One of them a fat slug wider than she was tall picked up a sample ballot, and the first thing out of her mouth was, "Who's Bob Barr?" Now remember I live in Georgia, Bob Barr was a long time congressman from Georgia and is running for President on the Libertarian ticket. Then she struggled to pronounce "Libertarian." And finally just said to her friend he was a neutral party candidate.

Of course she kept talking and revealed that she didn't really live in Gwinnett County but her inactive voter registration was for here so she was going to vote here! She didn't have a permanent address, only a PO Box.

Anyway as we approached the poll worker desk to our ID's she was going off that she had the right to vote and if she couldn't vote today she was going to call Channel 2 news and tell them that her right to vote had been taken away.

So just as we got to the desk I turned around and told her in a slightly elevated voice so everyone close could hear. You do not have a right to vote in a federal election. The look on her face was priceless it was like I had just run over her dog. And just as she was about to open her mouth and yell at me, all the poll workers (democrat and republican) that had heard this woman complaining for at least ten minutes all chimed in that voting was a privilege and not a right.

I'd done my good deed for the day.

And in keeping with my pledge I did not vote in the presidential campaign and only voted in races that I was familiar with the candidates. I skipped voting on several judges. I voted against allowing schools to spend money community projects, and voted against raising the sales tax.

**Mikelus Trento** · November 04, 2008, 04:08 PM

My election day experience is not a good one. And it has nothing to do with voting, which I did 2 weeks ago.

I made a fun thread this morning, mentioning the 2 NH towns that vote early, hoping to keep it updated by folks throughout the day with interestings things they experience or hear. Sort of what you are attempting to do here.

But alas, it came to a screeching halt when someone decided after about 8 or 9 posts had been made to merge it into the "Everything you always wanted to know about Obama" thread. Still scratching my head over that stroke of brilliance.

This of course comes on the heals of my "Would you vote for Obama even if he WAS a Muslim?" thread. Great discussion ops there for sure. But it suffered the same fate, lost in the jumble of the big stickied presidential thread.

Here's wishing yours last longer against the Gods of Fickleness than mine did.

**The Dude** · November 04, 2008, 04:14 PM

Basically been watching Dutch news going on and on and on about the voting today. Which just goes to show how much the world is watching with you

Of course I've been hoping all day for an Obama victory. It's 45 minutes to midnight now so I believe voting in virginia and kentucky and tennessee etc will close soon. Will stay up until 3 in the morning to see how things are going. Should have a pretty good idea if Obama will win or not by then.

**C-Rob** · November 04, 2008, 04:15 PM

I went there, said hi to the people I knew, got my ballot, filled in the ovals with pen, had them scan it, done. It took about 20 minutes and I went right after I got off school.

I voted against a bill that would amend my state's constitution and allow one casino to be built, renewed a tax, said okay to a ambulance/fire department tax, said yes to some environmental thing... forget what it was about now... Oh, and voted in every independent, minus the president, that I could find.

**imb39** · November 04, 2008, 04:15 PM

I went to work. I had a good day and had some really good lessons with plenty of interaction.

**Ojf** · November 04, 2008, 04:17 PM

How long until we know who won?

**imb39** · November 04, 2008, 04:18 PM

When they declare the votes and one side has an unassailable lead, I suppose.

**craziii** · November 04, 2008, 04:20 PM

or when the supreme court step in and give the win to mccain. how many people is with me when I say lets burn the supreme court down with the justices if they do that again?

**MaximiIian** · November 04, 2008, 04:21 PM

It was weird.
Our district had been split off recently; so when we got there, there was like no line at all. For me and mom.
The sign-in table next to us had, like, big lines.

So we both went and voted, put it through the machine. Jefferson County is renowned for it voting machines, actually; ours are efficient and very hard to defraud.
Then we left; went home. I fell asleep, and didn't get out of bed until 3:30. XDD

**Farnan** · November 04, 2008, 04:23 PM

Ran into random girl and learned her name and that she lives in the same apartment complex as me.

(Random girl is someone I talked to at a bus stop at one time while we were waiting an hour.)

**Dunecat** · November 04, 2008, 04:41 PM

Walked in. Walked out. 15 minutes.

Then again I lives in the boondocks

.

Originally Posted by Farnan

Ran into random girl and learned her name and that she lives in the same apartment complex as me.

(Random girl is someone I talked to at a bus stop at one time while we were waiting an hour.)

Nice.

**MadBurgerMaker** · November 04, 2008, 04:48 PM

I will begin my election 2008 experience by wandering over to the elementary school next door (edit: in 10 minutes or so, I guess. Not feeling the need to move much right now). I will then push a few (possibly random) "buttons" on a touch screen, while idly hoping the machine makes 60's style *boopbeep* type noises. After that, I will come back home, watch some basketball, and have some beers with a buddy who's home on leave.

EXTREME ELECTION EXPERIENCE!

**Big War Bird** · November 04, 2008, 04:53 PM

I had to wait in line almost 2 hours, my wife 2 1/2.

**Flavius Nevitta** · November 04, 2008, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Big War Bird

I had to wait in line almost 2 hours, my wife 2 1/2.

that's actually one of the things I was wondering about. they showed this stuff here on the news. So could some American please explain why you have such long waiting times in some areas?

Here (Germany) it never takes longer than 10 minutes at max...walk in, show ID, make crosses, walk out... :hmmm:

**twist_the_wrist** · November 04, 2008, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by L.C.Cinna

that's actually one of the things I was wondering about. they showed this stuff here on the news. So could some American please explain why you have such long waiting times in some areas?

Here (Germany) it never takes longer than 10 minutes at max...walk in, show ID, make crosses, walk out... :hmmm:

well here in Florida, 1/3 of the entire registered voting population early voted which freed up considerable space. of course they had to wait as limited polling stations were open for early voting (13 for all of palm beach county with some million plus residents)

on voting day however (today) i went to my polling station, walked in where there were like 50 booths and 4 voters and walked out. really simple. idk what its like for other areas but it was sure nice for me. just waiting to see if theres any drama down here since it is palm beach florida afterall

**Big War Bird** · November 04, 2008, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by L.C.Cinna

that's actually one of the things I was wondering about. they showed this stuff here on the news. So could some American please explain why you have such long waiting times in some areas?

Here (Germany) it never takes longer than 10 minutes at max...walk in, show ID, make crosses, walk out... :hmmm:

The clear bottleneck is the number of voting machines. There were 7 at my polling place. In 2000 I lived in Florida (voted on a butterfly ballot) and there was no real wait time.

**Heinz Guderian** · November 04, 2008, 06:01 PM

Real quick: when will the results be in?

sorry for OTing.

**Big War Bird** · November 04, 2008, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by Heinz Guderian

Real quick: when will the results be in?

sorry for OTing.

They are coming in now . . . and it looks like a bad day for liberty.

**Каие** · November 04, 2008, 05:03 PM

Woke up, went to College, came home, will go to sleep soon. I know, nothing happened. Except got talking to some really nice gir...OK perhaps not the right anecdote.