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In Celebration of Voting

Padma

By Padma
in Current Events & Politics

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Padma

Padma

(edited)

In a year when one of the major candidates won't say he'll respect the results, says he won't work with the winner, and yesterday half-joked about "Why not skip the voting and just give the election to me?", I feel happy every time I read that people are out and voting--even when it means standing in long lines.

With Russian intelligence agents working with Assange to subvert our democratic election, it's especially important to see people voting.The early voting lines are shockingly long around the country but kudos to everyone who is making that commitment.

I'm still making my way through the sample ballot here in CA (with 17 propositions--from legalizing marijuana to reviving the death penalty), but will vote by mail this weekend. Maybe people can share links about the election, or stories from their state re: the election--either interesting things you're asked to vote on or just things about the process itself as it differs so much around the country. (Here we don't have early polls open, but permanent mail in voting is so convenient). There are supposed to be dirty tricks in battleground states, so that might be something to learn about, too.

Hopefully, turn out will be good this year, if early voting is any indication. If people don't show up for -this- election, when will they?

Edited by Padma
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Blergh

Blergh

Thanks for the support! I  just did the early voting thing myself and, if nothing else, I can now say that ALL political ads, diatribes, rants, etc. are now USELESS against me because I've ALREADY VOTED. Mwah-hah-hah-hah! Now if I can just cocoon myself until after November 8th. . .

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AuntiePam

AuntiePam

My husband's politics are opposite to mine.  If we'd met in an election year, we wouldn't have had a second date.  It's tense at my house every election year, and since campaigning starts so early, the tension lasts for almost TWO years.  This season has been the worst in the twenty years we've been together.  We both yell at the TV ads and then we yell at each other.

I've already voted absentee and I didn't tell him.  I'm hoping that come November 8, he'll forget what day it is.  If that doesn't work, I'll remind him that since our votes cancel each other out, it'd be a waste of time.  Fingers crossed.

I've worked as a precinct election official for the last ten years.  It's relieved my mind about shenanigans, because I've seen the process, the safeguards, the security -- oy vey the security!  I can guarantee that at least in Iowa, everyone who's eligible is allowed/encouraged to vote and that ballots are protected against any form of tampering. 

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candall

candall

18 hours ago, Padma said:

Hopefully, turn out will be good this year, if early voting is any indication. If people don't show up for -this- election, when will they?

One certainly hopes.  I'm always so ashamed about our anemic turnout when I see some country finally get a chance at democratic elections and the people stand in line for days to cast their vote.

 

While I was writing this post, I heard Rachel Maddow say some state had opened 16 additional early polling stations and voting shot up to break the record for one-day early voting.  Maddow concluded, "If you stop making it hard to vote, people will vote.  And I think the people who want to make it hard to vote know that."

 

Here's my own funny/freaky small town voting story:  I've ruefully joked several times that I was probably the only Obama voter at my polling place.  A couple of weeks ago, a man I barely know overheard me and came over to say, "In fact, that's true.  You were."

(Well, at least I know the ladies don't fish my ballot back out of the box with a stick and a piece of chewing gum.)

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atomationage

atomationage

10 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

I've already voted absentee and I didn't tell him.  I'm hoping that come November 8, he'll forget what day it is.  If that doesn't work, I'll remind him that since our votes cancel each other out, it'd be a waste of time.  Fingers crossed.

Thanks for the laugh.  I was proud to vote early for Hillary and Tammy, and I'm hoping for a very large turnout and a 50 state victory with 100 million votes for HRC45. 

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MulletorHater

MulletorHater

I took advantage of early voting in the District of Columbia today.  Not only did I take a vote against evil, I voted FOR a woman who is the most qualified candidate.  My husband is a Republican who proudly voted for President Obama twice and wishes he could run again.  In fact, he loves the meme that is floating around FB suggesting that the president stay in office on a month-to-month basis until we get this shit figured out (if Drumpf refuses to concede).

We disagree on a lot, and his attitude is that he simply doesn't care because we're screwed either way.  I've tried to convince him why he should vote for Hillary.  He knows that Drumpf is vile, despicable, trifling and that his racist buddies would have us both locked up or worse.  Yet, he still can't bring himself to vote for Hillary because "she's got some shit with her, too--although not as bad as that clown).   I wanted to leap across the table and stab him in the neck!  But, if he knows what's good for him, he'll fall in line or else...

Oh, wait...withholding love, affection and sex is considered a form of voter intimidation, isn't it?  [whistling with my angelic smile]

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ruby24

ruby24

1 hour ago, MulletorHater said:

\We disagree on a lot, and his attitude is that he simply doesn't care because we're screwed either way.  I've tried to convince him why he should vote for Hillary.  He knows that Drumpf is vile, despicable, trifling and that his racist buddies would have us both locked up or worse.  Yet, he still can't bring himself to vote for Hillary because "she's got some shit with her, too--although not as bad as that clown).   I wanted to leap across the table and stab him in the neck!  But, if he knows what's good for him, he'll fall in line or else...

I find this interesting. I don't want to offend you or anything, but do you think it's possible her being a woman has something to do with this? Maybe even a subconscious, underlying factor? 

To me, if you accurately recognize the threat that Trump is, this is the easiest choice in history. And if you recognize that but for some reason STILL can't bring yourself to vote for Hillary (especially after voting for Obama twice and loving him- don't forget he's 112% behind Hillary all the way), then there's gotta be something else going on. 

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MulletorHater

MulletorHater

18 hours ago, ruby24 said:

I find this interesting. I don't want to offend you or anything, but do you think it's possible her being a woman has something to do with this? Maybe even a subconscious, underlying factor? 

To me, if you accurately recognize the threat that Trump is, this is the easiest choice in history. And if you recognize that but for some reason STILL can't bring yourself to vote for Hillary (especially after voting for Obama twice and loving him- don't forget he's 112% behind Hillary all the way), then there's gotta be something else going on. 

No offense at all, Ruby24.  I suspect that that is a part of it because he's probably one of the few Republicans I know who actually liked Bill.

But, this stuff with Comey is really starting to make him think and examine things a little more closely.  Slowly--one toe at a time--he's starting to think that "Hillary might not be that bad after all..."

Crossing my fingers!

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AuntiePam

AuntiePam

On 10/29/2016 at 9:21 PM, ruby24 said:

I find this interesting. I don't want to offend you or anything, but do you think it's possible her being a woman has something to do with this? Maybe even a subconscious, underlying factor? 

 

It is with my husband.  He's fine with women in the military, including in combat roles -- his daughter was in the Navy.  But he can't come to terms with a woman as Commander in Chief.  Actually, he doesn't like the idea of anyone without high level military experience being CiC.  We both need more understanding of the role of the President in this regard.  Maybe the whole country does.

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ExplainItAgain

ExplainItAgain

Could have early voted sooner, but the lines in my super awesome battleground state (read: North Carolina) have been insanely long. Finally went today and waited about 20 minutes.

Took my time and filled in the Hillary bubble on the scantron like a boss. Yeah! #ImWithHer

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Padma

Padma

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(edited)

Yay! North Carolina! Woo-hoo! They keep saying that's really the state to watch on election day.

And I miss scantron bubbles. There's something about having to draw lines between two points across an empty space like we have to do now, that always makes me worry if I've done it right.   Coloring in the bubbles was so sure-fire! 

One nice thing about nationwide early voting is it may create a little peer pressure on people who otherwise don't think about voting until Election Day and then are "too busy" or figure "it won't matter".  When you see images of people doing their civic duty, reported on every day over several weeks, it -should- get more people thinking ahead and getting to the polls in time.

Edited by Padma
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GHScorpiosRule

GHScorpiosRule

9 minutes ago, Padma said:

One nice thing about nationwide early voting is it may create a little peer pressure on people who otherwise don't think about voting until Election Day and then are "too busy" or figure "it won't matter".  When you see images of people doing their civic duty, reported on every day over several weeks, it -should- get more people thinking ahead and getting to the polls in time.

I had dinner with a good friend last Saturday and she used to be an Election Judge (She's Pro-Hillary), and she told me that she's voting on Election day, because early voters and absentee ballots are counted last. I was dismayed to hear that. Yet, then I read how Mook said the early voting was going good for Hillary, but urged voters not to be complacent and to still vote on Election day. To say that I am confused is an understatement.

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Moose135

Moose135

(edited)
40 minutes ago, partofme said:

We have scantron in New York since 2008.  I hate it.  I'm never sure when I put it through the scanner that my vote registered.

I left NY in 2012, and I think the last election I voted in - the Presidential primary that year - my district had the scantron machines.  Before that, we had the old lever type, which I always loved, it made such great sounds as you voted!  Down here in North Carolina, I've been using a touch-screen machine.  It allows you to go back and check/change your votes, it shows a summary page when you have finished your selections before you hit the submit button, and it prints a paper copy, which you can see through a window as you are voting.

Edited by Moose135
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partofme

partofme

40 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I had dinner with a good friend last Saturday and she used to be an Election Judge (She's Pro-Hillary), and she told me that she's voting on Election day, because early voters and absentee ballots are counted last. I was dismayed to hear that. Yet, then I read how Mook said the early voting was going good for Hillary, but urged voters not to be complacent and to still vote on Election day. To say that I am confused is an understatement.

I know nothing about early voting but I've always heard that absentee ballots weren't counted.  I've only voted absentee twice while I was in college, 92(for Bill Clinton) and 94(for governor Mario Cuomo, and being in college in Boston was shocked when Pataki won, I'd never heard of him).

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AuntiePam

AuntiePam

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I had dinner with a good friend last Saturday and she used to be an Election Judge (She's Pro-Hillary), and she told me that she's voting on Election day, because early voters and absentee ballots are counted last. I was dismayed to hear that. Yet, then I read how Mook said the early voting was going good for Hillary, but urged voters not to be complacent and to still vote on Election day. To say that I am confused is an understatement.

Mook knows how many Democrats and Republicans have voted absentee.  If your state is like mine (Iowa), there's a printed label on the return envelope with the voter's name and party affiliation.  So all the auditors have to do is check that label to see how many from each party have voted.  They probably assume that registered Dems will vote for HRC, etc. 

I don't know when they open the envelopes though.  I've worked as an election official at my local precinct for years but have never thought to ask when absentee ballots are tallied.  We do have a computer record that shows if someone requested an absentee ballot.  If they show up in person and insist on voting on Election Day, we give them a provisional ballot.  Iowa has an exceptionally secure system.  One of my wishes for the next administration is an effort to develop a national procedure -- make it the same everywhere.  Allow early voting, absentee voting without qualification -- none of this having to have a reason to vote absentee, same-day voter registration, and there has to be a paper trail.

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BW Manilowe

BW Manilowe

On our early local news they mentioned that "satellite" voting started locally today, at 4 of our local library branches. Instead of voting early in person at our former City-County Building (previously the only location where you could go to vote early in person), you can now go to 1 of these 4 local library branches if you don't wanna go to the old City-County Building. News reports said there was a 2-hour wait at at least 1 of the library branches when it opened for voting.

http://wane.com/2016/11/01/early-voting-opens-at-4-satellite-locations/

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Ms.Moon

Ms.Moon

I am a librarian that works with teens and I set up a display (I live in NY and you had to register by October 14th in order to be able vote in the general) right at the entrance to our Teen Room with registration cards.  I saw so many new 18 year olds taking cards to fill them out to be registered a librarian coworker filled one out to change her address (she'd just moved) and I got one of our college student workers to fill out his card to vote in his very first election I told him he has to vote every election it is important.  I will do another display next year and get more teens registered if I can.  

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Padma

Padma

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It warms my heart to see people committed to standing in line for two hours to be able to vote early.  (But, of course, it does raise questions about why there aren't more polling places. Or why they don't just vote by mail.)

But it also makes me wonder how millions voted before when it was all limited to one day? You'd think there would be lines for hours, but I've never waited for more than half an hour, even coming from work. Why don't I remember hours-long lines in the old days before people had so many early voting days?

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Moose135

Moose135

(edited)
2 hours ago, Padma said:

But it also makes me wonder how millions voted before when it was all limited to one day? You'd think there would be lines for hours, but I've never waited for more than half an hour, even coming from work. Why don't I remember hours-long lines in the old days before people had so many early voting days?

I mentioned this in another thread here, but in my county which includes Charlotte, NC, there are over 650K registered voters.  Early voting started October 20, and for the first week there were only 10 polling places, where any county resident can vote.  A week later, another 12 opened, so there were a total of 22 locations to vote through today, the last day of early voting.  On election day, there are about 240 polling places available in the county.  I think a lot of people were looking to get it done early if able, so there were crowds at the limited polling places open.  I voted on Friday, October 21 in the middle of the afternoon, and waited about 2 hours.

Edited by Moose135
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HoosierJen

HoosierJen

I just want to say that this Tuesday will be a proud moment for me. Both of my kids are away at college, and this will be the first presidential election for both of them. They're very into the election and anxious to vote, and it makes me so happy to see young adults choosing to be informed about the political process. And -- just for the record -- I'm also pretty proud that they're both voting for Hillary!

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starri

starri

I think I said this in the Hillary thread, but 2008 was just a mind-blowing experience for me, and I even voted early at the DMV because I was helping GOTV.  I honestly didn't think I'd have the same reaction this time, because for all her strengths, Hillary isn't Obama.

But I think it probably will be.  Different, sure, but no less mind-blowing.

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xaxat

xaxat

My grandmother was born before the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the Constitutional right to vote. As an African American in the South, she also live in an era when Black people where effectively excluded from voting. 

Since then, she has lived long enough to vote for the first African American president, and on Tuesday, she will vote for Hilary. Who will become the first female president.

My grandmother is awesome.

(Next on her list is the first Black Pope.)

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dougfir

dougfir

I live in a vote-by-mail state, but I saved myself a stamp and returned my ballot on Tuesday at an official dropoff site super-convenient to my workplace. My state is pretty solid "blue" (unless enough disgruntled Bernie-or-Busters cast a protest vote for Jill Stein, but the current polls don't seem to be bearing this out).

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MulletorHater

MulletorHater

Harry Reid is a beast--in a good way!  This guy is like a stealth missile, just quite and deadly.  First, the letter to Comey calling him out on his partisanship, and now I'm learning from Politico that he is the one who built the Democrats' firewall in Nevada by increasing Latino voter registration.  As a result, the state will probably be delivered to Hillary because of this.  Oh, and, of course, we would be remiss in not crediting Drumpf for his racist rhetoric.  Thanks, Coral Caligula...or something...

Give 'em hell, Harry!  How Harry Reid Built This

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starri

starri

1 hour ago, Padma said:

Like a lot of Dems, I haven't been a big Harry Reid fan.

I wasn't until he pushed through the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.  And then I realized that when things look hopeless, he is a really, really good guy to have in your corner.

And he's a fair sight better than my corporatist Senator who's going to replace him.

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Padma

Padma

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23 hours ago, xaxat said:

My grandmother was born before the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the Constitutional right to vote. As an African American in the South, she also live in an era when Black people where effectively excluded from voting. 

Since then, she has lived long enough to vote for the first African American president, and on Tuesday, she will vote for Hilary. Who will become the first female president.

My grandmother is awesome.

(Next on her list is the first Black Pope.)

That is so great. I hope someone make a video of her, it would be a real opportunity to capture her feelings, whether for you and your family or to share more widely.  My grandmother lived to 104 and I've always regretted not capturing more of her experiences on film or at least audio tape.. 

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Morrigan2575

Morrigan2575

I got to the voting place around 6:30 this morning, there was a line of cars going into the parking lot, so I knew there'd be lines.  Got in and voted, spoke to the poll workers, they said there were people lined up at 6AM to vote.  She said they weren't prepared for it to be this busy this early in the morning.

Nice to see a good turn out, granted NJ isn't a swing state it's safely blue but, I still like to see people voting.  If only we could see this kind of turn out during the mid-terms.

I have to pick my mom up after work and take her to vote this evening, I'll let you know what her polling center looks like.

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Blergh

Blergh

Even though I personally dislike election coverage overall, I always have had a soft spot for the fact that the tiny town of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire gets to be the very first community to cast their votes and have them counted immediately afterwards so they can spend the rest of the day fishing or whatever else they want while the rest of us are on pins and needles.

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Ohwell

Ohwell

Voted at 8:30 this morning.  It was pretty dead, just a few people wandering about.  Even the people handing out flyers for their candidates seemed to be lacking enthusiasm.  It was NOTHING like 2008 and 2012.  I pass the school where people vote every day and even the early voting lines were pretty short.  I need a drink.  

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Padma

Padma

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I hope turnout today in Calif will be high (no pun intended).  We have two Democrats only running against each other for Barbara Boxer's senate--one is African American (Kamala Harris) and the other is Latina (Loretta Sanchez).  First time that's happened--very cool feeling. We also have 17 state propositions to vote on, including whether to legalize marijuana (it's already legal medicinally) and whether to repeal the death penalty (again). 

So far, turnout looks strong.

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starri

starri

Just now, Padma said:

We have two Democrats only running against each other for Barbara Boxer's senate--one is African American (Kamala Harris)

Harris would also be the first Indian Senator.

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candall

candall

I had to drop the dog at the vet's for dental surgery at 8:00, so I got to my polling place earlier than I usually vote.  Zowie.  There are only four parking space, but I've never had to wait for a spot before.  This time there were ten vehicles wedged against the trees and off on the gravel.  (I asked the ladies inside if the big crowd was because I was there at a different time or we were just having a good turnout.  She said, "Oh my, no.  We're having an amazing turnout.  We had 12 people at one time waiting for a ballot!")

I filled out my ballot from the bottom up so I could close out the occasion with coloring in the Clinton circle.  YAY!!!!!!!

On the way out, I saw a very old man helping his even older wizened little old lady mother into the truck.  He said she was his mother and he'd built a little box for her to step on so she could get in and out of the vehicle.  I soooo wanted to talk to her.  If she wasn't born before women got the vote, she didn't miss it by much.  But around here, it's dollars to doughnuts she'd be a Trump supporter and I didn't want my buzz harshed by hearing that.

On the way home, I was thinking it would have been interesting to just talk to her and see what she thought about a woman running for President, and maybe she was proud of seeing a woman up for the office?  But I'm pretty cynical about my solid red (Trump-infested) community and I figure probably her son would have just left her home if she hadn't been voting GOP, like everyone else.

So I'm just going to groove on Xaxat's granny instead.

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Rosiejuliemom

Rosiejuliemom

Rosiedad and I just got home from voting. In our medium-ish Illinois town, the line actually wasn't too bad. I even got two extra stickers for the munchkins!

I wish I could put words to the feeling I had at being able to vote for a female candidate from a major party for president. Truly indescribable.

Bit of a side note: My daughters participated in a mock election at school last week. Neither of them voted for Trump. The eight-year old's reason: "I don't want to lose any of my friends." (They attend an ESL magnet school that has a pretty diverse student body). My six-year old didn't vote for him because "He makes fun of people and that is not nice!"

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Ms.Moon

Ms.Moon

I live in safe blue New York I work in the library and it is a polling center it has been steady all day around lunchtime the line was out the door and down the block.  There was a little un that came with his parents he got an I voted sticker he was the happiest little thing he came out singing I voted with his sticker on his chest I do hope in a few years he gets to enjoy that for reals.  I will be taking myself home to vote later with my siblings because it's always fun with the two of them.   

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xaxat

xaxat

(edited)

My precinct didn't have "I Voted" stickers this year! I'm crushed.

(But I have a feeling I'll be better sometime around ten or eleven tonight.)

Edited by xaxat
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