My D in Ohio had to affix a stamp to her absentee ballot.
I love the process of going to vote on the actual voting day. Our public schools in the city are closed today (no kids, teachers have an in-service day) so that really helps with parking at many of the polling places, often which are schools.
Always have taken my kiddos to the polls ( they go in the booth with me since about age 2). Kiddo #1 a teenager said this morning, I can’t wait to vote. You mean in a couple of years. No, today with you in the booth. I love that. Won’t vote till about 7PM tonight but I’ll vote. Kiddo #1 once talked me out of voting in the primaries for a candidate who had no chance.
Went with Mr R and my roommate. Ran into a fellow alumni from our very small college program. We didn’t know him, Mr R just happened to be wearing an alumni shirt!
Voters 326-328.
I have voted for acquaintances and casual friends before, but today voted for someone who I consider to be a long-term friend who entered her race because no one else wanted to step up for it. She is an outstanding person who for a dozen or more years coached the high school debate team to many awards. One of the sweetest things I read on F B yesterday was another friend posting that her son, a former debater, was concerned that his absentee ballot wouldn’t make it in time, so he drove home over the weekend (3 1/2 hour drive each way) so him mom could post the ballot on Monday via UPS Overnight. It’s his first time to vote and he gets to vote for someone who has been an important mentor to him.
Lines were very long and it was relatively chaotic but everyone seemed to be in a good mood. It took about 2 hours but that gave me plenty of time to meet some nice people.
We need to put postage on absentee ballots too. I told my kids to put two stamps on just to be safe.
Paper ballots here, very old fashioned.
We’re in a small rural district. None of our possibilities are even remotely contested via statistics. Unless things are really, really off, we know who is going to win local, regional, and state offices. It’s raining. Water has ponded in several areas on the roads to the polling place.
Yet… there was a small line (rarely have that), all parking spaces were taken, and two of the voters ahead of us were brand new voters (neither was young - not elderly either - just in the middle age range). H and I were voters #191 & 192 voting around 10am this morning. Honestly, for us and the situation + area, that’s amazing. We hadn’t even hit lunch or the after work crowd yet… I’ve seen elections where there have been roughly 350 voters total for our district. The population eligible to vote is much higher. I’m curious to see how many turn out today. Then it makes me curious to see if the stats hold (percentages within margin of error, not just winners).
I voted absentee and my high school government teacher is running for state superintendent–it felt so good to mark the box next to her name!
I voted in early voting last week at a local university. I went there because my usual polling place was so crowded, with a line out the door.
The university polling place was also crowded, with a thirty minute wait, but oh so exciting to stand in line with a bunch of first time voters.
I voted mid-morning. Went prepared for a line outside in the drizzle, but there was no wait at all (except for a parking space), despite a steady flow of voters. I saw a lot of smiling faces.
DH and I voted on Saturday, had about a 10 minute wait. My mother, age 82, is an election judge in our hometown. She has done this for many, many years, and totally enjoys the day.
Stickers were included in our Vote by Mail packets.
I live in a small town with only paper ballots where you color in the circle corresponding to your candidate. I voted early and there were only a few people in line. While waiting for the person in front of me, an election worker asked if my analogue watch was a smart watch. She said they were just notified that smart watches or anything “with the internet” were not allowed. I laughed (good-naturedly) and said I didn’t know you could cheat on a ballot. I found it amusing. Still don’t know what a smart watch could do. There are no right or wrong answers on a ballot and there were no electronics to “hack” in the venue. Guess it is ok to have the “internet” in your pocket or purse but not on your wrist.
I voted at 7 AM. I stopped by while walking my dog. I was kind of afraid that they might not let me bring him in, but they didn’t say anything. I remembered to bring my sample ballot and glasses, but didn’t think through that I would be seeing my neighbors in my “dog-walking” clothes.
In California, at least at my polling place, they still had the paper computerized list to sign in on. There was a high school student working, and a high school student behind me in line. I wasn’t first in line, but the person who was had to do some sort of polling place verification procedure. It was kind of fun to see that.
At 8:30 AM 18 percent of the registered voters in my precinct had cast votes! I showed up at 5:55 AM ( had a 6:30 yoga class), I was about 20 th or so in line and people we’re streaming in after me. Saw 3 neighbors just from my cul de sac.
Nice to see that for the most part, people being pleasant to the poll workers, especially the transgendered young man working one of the voting booths. Of course there were the occasional cranky complainer about the lines.
Few voters at the polling place. The roster that voters sign into showed that the vast majority had signed up for mail ballots.
My polling place was the most crowded I have ever seen it since I’ve been a stay at home mom and voting during midday (10:30)…so the most crowded in 20 years! We have a lot of local issues (6, very unusual, including a large school construction levy) so I think that was the biggest factor.
I also got to see what the provisional ballot process is like. I had requested an Absentee Ballot in case I was on a college visit, but we didn’t go and I didn’t use it. So I was directed to the provisional ballot station and since no one else was there, I had no line, and filled out a ballot the old fashioned way with pen. The most interesting part was when it was done and all sealed up, I was directed to put it in this large envelope/bag with a one-way slot. It was hard to get in but the lady said it’s tricky but I just had to keep trying, no one else is allowed to touch the envelope!
Interestingly enough since there was talk about absentee ballots in Ohio in this thread, the lady said that she thought it was a shame that it didn’t include postage, and that it is also unclear if it takes one stamp or two (it’s like a 5x8 size). Good points.
Wow @Musicmom2015 I just read your post. That’s so interesting! I totally use my phone (photos or notes) to keep track of the judges I want to vote for. Maybe it’s different for watches because people could program some sort of campaign message on there and other people would see it?
2 minute wait was all. Another polling place in my area closed unexpectedly and people were directed to another with few signs to show where it was.