@“Cardinal Fang”, thank you! I now know that i’m still not signed up for absentee/vote by mail but I did see an option to ‘go green’ for future voters guides which I happily signed up for. I will save that link and, after this election, will, again, sign up to vote absentee.
I wanted a sticker. They were totaly out. Rats, I helped myself to the dish of “I voted” mints as I exited but didn’t get a sticker.
@TonyK, much different economy here than CNY since ours revolve around state government, health care. education and tech. Most of H’s employees (he’s with the state) are in their mid 20’s-30’s with graduate degrees. Even in my suburb I’ve been noticing a lot more young singles at our restaurants. I feel like when we go to Syracuse I’m in some sort of eerie place after the apocalypse. 
Our ballots are the fill in the bubble ones and put in machine to get read but the poll workers don’t come near you when doing that and only approach if they are called for assistance. They also can be inserted vote side down.
I do get tons of emails because I am a donor to both presidential candidate and my party. I donated again last Wednesday and got an email the next day saying, “we know you just donated but we need more so please donate today, too!”
@surfcity, My machine was a computer with touch screen features. You touched the names of your desired candidates, touched “yes” or “no” to amendments, etc., and at the end hit “review,” then finally, “post votes.” There were “back” screens, and “continue” screens. Volunteers were available for help if you needed it.
This is in Dallas, TX.
@surfcity, you mentioned you are in PA and use a paper ballot. In Allegheny Cty we have the touchscreen machines with no paper trail. While it is much easier for us workers after the polls close to finish up the results (vs the old lever machines), we get a lot of complaints about the system.
Our machines sound just like Nrdsb4 posted - iVotronic machines. We’ve been using them long enough that people are used to how they work.
I just moved from MN. We used the machine that slurps in the ballot, but there is a sleeve you carry the ballot in. The top sticks out, and the machine pulls it out of the sleeve. So unless there is a slurping issue that requires intervention, the poll worker can’t see.
I would wear my sticker there as a reminder to everyone that it is Election Day – I think our low voter turnout is something we should be ashamed of, so if one more person is reminded that is good. And if anyone makes fun of it or says it is a waste of time, I get an opportunity to discuss why it is important to vote and maybe change their mind. 
They give you a manila folder to put your allow in to carry to the machine. But there are votes on both sides so simply turning it over won’t work.
What is more troubling to me is during the primaries, when you go in and give your name they yell “Smith - Republican!” or “Jones - Democrat” so the poll worker gives you the correct party ballot.
I know party registrations are probably public and searchable, but when you are in line with your neighbors and the majority of the township is one party, it is awkward when they call your name and say the other party.
I am registered no partisan but did change last year so I could vote in the primary for our school board.
I’m glad I can vote in the privacy of my own home. I can take my time and read up and research issues I wasn’t certain of. I really appreciate absentee voting.
Quite nervy. So did you donate again?
I was surprised that we didn’t get more election calls this year. I noticed that more of them are robocalls, though.When it’s an actual person, I either hang up or string them along a bit. I tell them I haven’t decided, and that I am going to flip a coin. Or ask them what’s my vote worth to them?
I was considering not voting in the Presidential race at all (and I still might not). I do want to cast my ballot for some of the state races, state referendums, and a few of the local races and referendums. I definitely will be leaving some races blank, though.
And I couldn’t care less whether or not I get an “I Voted!” sticker.
I didn’t donate again but will likely do it once more before Election Day. I do it when the mood strikes.
You can do this regardless of absentee voting. Nothing stops you from reading and researching prior to going to the polls. And, at least here, they give you a sample ballot (though even a plain piece of paper would do the job).
I drove by the library early today, and a little line, so I voted. They say before 10:00 a.m. It is easy.
In Ca. My H and D vote permanent vote by mail. H has already mailed in his ballot. He researches the propositions with help from a local independent weekly paper and with the mailings from groups who have a similar philosophy to him. Almost all our mail, calls and TV ads are based on 1 congressional race. My D pointed out that most of the tv ads are why you shouldn’t vote for the other candidate. Funny thing the phone just rang, A recorded call from Bernie urging me to vote yes on Prop 61.
My S requested an absentee ballot last week but it hasn’t come yet. He felt with his commute he would not feel like going to the polling place on the evening of Election Day.
I will go to the polling place. I’ve never encountered a line. Paper ballot that I fill in bubble with a provided marking pen. I put it in a sleeve and deposit it into a sealed box.
I think I have used every kind of voting machine or ballot. The small cards (hanging chad) type you punched the square out of, the flip the levers type that records your vote when pull the curtain lever, the electronic board that has lights and you push the ‘vote now’ button (which my daughter pushed when she was 18 months old and I was only half done voting; no do-overs), an actual computer, The oversized ballot that is the size of a desk blotter that you feed into the reader, paper ballots you fold and but into a box, and mail in ballots that take many forms.
I’m old.
We have a smartphone app that lets you enter your info and get a sample ballot. So you can make all your choices, check them off on the app, and use that as you cheat sheet when you vote. When I early voted they were also handing out sample ballots to people who wanted them. At my regular polling place, they always have a large sample ballot on the wall.
“You can do this regardless of absentee voting. Nothing stops you from reading and researching prior to going to the polls. And, at least here, they give you a sample ballot (though even a plain piece of paper would do the job).”
Certainly, however, I like to do this all in a leisurely way. No lines, sipping a glass of wine while I do it. After I’m done researching, I show my husband my ballot, he asks a few questions, and generally votes the same way. It’s just very painless.
Why do you think you would research in line? We could easily get sample ballots and got mailers on the races ahead of times. I never went to the polling place without a list of how I planned to vote prepared ahead of time.
“Why do you think you would research in line? We could easily get sample ballots and got mailers on the races ahead of times. I never went to the polling place without a list of how I planned to vote prepared ahead of time.”
Are you asking me? If so, I’m not sure what I wrote to indicate that I would research in line. That’s way oo late, obviously. I’m just saying, there are no lines in your living room. No driving to get there. No irritants or delays. However, maybe I’m missing the experience. I barely remember when I didn’t absentee vote.
@busdriver11 - You said the following upthread which made it sound like without an absentee ballot your couldn’t research otherwise (hence you research in line!).
But you did clarify later that you meant you just enjoyed filling out the ballot without being rushed.
Thanks for explaining that, @ClaremontMom. That was rather nonsensical the way I phrased it.
Actually, I think that if I waited to research until I was in line, I shouldn’t be allowed to vote! I do a fair amount of research, not just from the pamphlet that is mailed (because they can totally spin the initiatives, making you read between the lines), but listening to discussion about the issues, reading the paper about both sides, and considering who is endorsing it. If I don’t know enough about an initiative/candidate, I don’t vote on it.
I guess I’m just lazy and doing things the easy way, but now I wonder if I’m missing out on the interesting experience of it all.