Envious of everyone who’s voted. There are so many propositions and other items on our ballet this time (CA). I’m about 1/2 way through my research and appreciate the links people have posted. Will add that to my research and see if I can speed things along.
I’ve signed up for an absentee ballot several times but I’ve yet to receive one. Fortunately, in my county, you can go to the county elections office (?) and vote early which is what I plan to do next week.
I will be so very glad when this election is over!
In Central NY we are receiving mailers from state candidates. TV commercials are split 50-50 between the Presidential candidates. Two statewide races must be on Washington’s radar as various PAC’s are running anti-ads nonstop here. Back to back all day long.
It looks like polling places are going the way of telephone booths. I like being a poll watcher as I see old friends and neighbors. My district has a majority of voters 50 and older. We don’t see very many younger voters in their 20’s or 30’s. We must have aged from being a family community into a retirement community in the last 20 years.
I just realized I didn’t get an “I Voted” sticker. Humph!
Interestingly we received a robocall every single day (not kidding) from one of the presidential candidates and none (literally) from the other one. My husband and I voted in the primaries - different days, different political parties - and have the last few elections. All I can say is that one of the candidates neglected us - or took us for granted - whatever. Humph (again)!
It’s interesting to see how different states handle voting. No intent here to insult you guys from CA, but I’m glad not live in CA at election time. It sounds like the electoral process truly becomes a process in CA.
@ignatius, I went to my closest polling place in Dallas County on Monday. The line was out the door and into the parking lot. The next day, that polling place was mentioned in a newspaper article about record crowds showing up to vote early.
Today I went after I finished working an early surgery, and only had to wait about 10 or 15 minutes. So, it’s done. Glad to have that behind me.
If you were sent an absentee ballot, but you didn’t get one, you’ll have to vote provisionally. Provisional ballots are a pain in the neck for everyone and take forever to count, but obviously we can’t allow someone to vote an absentee ballot, then go in and vote in person as well.
I checked the status of my absentee ballot. It said I was sent a ballot, but it hasn’t been received yet. Makes sense, because I just dropped it off at the ballot box at the library last night.
@surfcity, in Texas, there is “absentee voting,” which only a few categories of people are eligible to do. It’s done by mail. Any registered voter may vote “early,” which requires that you show up to any polling place in your county with your ID. On Nov. 8, you must vote at your assigned polling place.
@emilybee, we can vote in any precinct when we vote early. They scanned my DL, and up popped my voter’s registration info. They printed up a sticker with my info on it and I gave it to an election official, who walked me to an open voting booth.
I gotta do my absentee ballot today, and this is a great reminder. I’ve been putting it off, since the thought if it makes me feel physically ill. Usually I do it cheerfully.
I voted early today. There was a bit of a line, but not much. The poll workers were talking about how it was empty, and then suddenly crowded. I guess it’s always like that. People do seem to want to “get it over with” this year, lol.
GOsh I am out of the loop. I was not aware of early voting. Not an option in PA. Gotta show up that day or else. Which means I have to listen to all the ads for a few more days.
“It looks like polling places are going the way of telephone booths. I like being a poll watcher as I see old friends and neighbors. My district has a majority of voters 50 and older. We don’t see very many younger voters in their 20’s or 30’s. We must have aged from being a family community into a retirement community in the last 20 years.”
@TonyK, we had to go to Syracuse for a funeral today and after there was a lunch at a local restaurant in the suburb where my inlaws live. I felt like I was at a senior center - literally. It was packed, too. H says there are no young people who live in Syracuse anymore. Not that I blame them.
I’m very surprised you are getting presidential ads. I’m in the Cap District and we don’t see any,
Wow, guess I didn’t realize everyone was getting constantly bombarded with mailings and ads. I bet 95% of the tv commercials between 5-8 pm are political-presidential, governor, senator, and representative. There is only one that is of a positive nature. Unfortunately for me, he’s running in the neighboring state which is part of my tv viewing area.
I discovered early voting a few years ago and love it. We can only vote early at the county courthouse, but the lines are so much quicker. I detested voting in my precinct as the older ladies working it pored over and spent an eternity looking at ID, despite the fact they’ve known every voter in the township for 30-60 years.
“I Voted” stickers always feel like such an environmental and financial waste to me, but I know lots of people love them.
SO do you all use machines or what? Growing up my parents voted with machines with the curtain that swung closed behind you. You pulled the lever of the candidates you wanted.
So I move out into the suburbs and we were actually using ballots where you punch out the hole next to the candidate’s name - remember “hanging chads”? That lasted for a few years and now we use a ballot that you complete like a standardized test - fill in the circle next to the candidate’s name.
The worst part is you have to inset it into some machine (that looks exactly like a shredder!) and the poll worker can clearly see your votes as it goes in.
We lost so many factories here that young college graduates have to look elsewhere for lucrative jobs. Even graduates of our best teachers colleges head down south to find jobs.My son has told me there is only one city in NY State that he would ever consider living in.
Polling sheets give the age of voters and many of them are older than I am.
Presidential ads picked up four weeks ago. State representative ads dominate commercial space all day long. It might be the lower cost of media buys in the Central NY Region? None of these races are even close so it doesn’t make much sense.
@surfcity We also use the paper ballots and fill the bubble with a black felt pen. After we insert it into a machine (looks like a shredder, too!) but you can insert it upside down if you want to preserve your voting privacy.
I just found out (from a flyer posted to Nextdoor)-- that our county has a Mobile Voting Center for both early voting and election day for disabled voters – I guess they bring a van to the voter’s house, equipped with a voting machine designed to be accessible for those with disabilities. It does require an appointment but can be scheduled for the following business day – so basically a disabled person can call up any time to arrange for the election to be brought to them the next day.
Just a nice note of something that makes voting easier for everyone.