I voted this morning. I had no problems with the poll workers finding my name on their registers -
However, the lady in front of me was not on the books. She was told to speak with the Judge of Elections - who called over someone to interpret for him (she spoke Chinese) - He told her to wait and he went and got a provisional ballot.
I could not keep my mouth shut. I had to speak up and ask if he’d verified that she was in the right polling place - he glared at me and said “she is.”
And then he asked her for her address.
And then he asked her to fill out the provisional ballot again.
And, I, of course, had to say “which will not be counted unless she can verify registration.”
He said “well, yes.”
The lady handing out the “I voted” stickers said (to me) “wow, you know a lot about this.”
I said, to her “well, this is a very important election.”
She replied “yes. yes it is.”
I was then, somewhat briskly, ushered into a voting booth.
It seems a little unbelievable that the day is finally here - Election Day 2008.
This is the first election, in many, many, of our lifetimes, that we’re guaranteed a completely “new” person will be entering the White House; it’s the first election in 80 years in which no “incumbent” (Pres or VP) is running.
So go out and vote! Make sure that your One Vote Matters!
Starbucks wants to reward the American voter! On Tuesday, November 4th, Starbucks will be giving out FREE tall coffees (ie small) to all voters. You just need to show your “I Voted!” sticker to receive the coffee - for states that don’t offer “proof” of voting, Starbucks will distribute coffees based on the honor system.
The message above is from plenty of people I respect. I hope you do take the time to vote on Tuesday.
This is my last post on OneVoteMatters. I’ve enjoyed my time here immensely and hope that you have as well. You can still find me online, through my personal website or through Twitter.
We’ve got just a few days before the general election, and I wanted to get this carnival up before we know — one way or the other — who will be the next president of the United States. Thanks for all the great entries!
Hopefully none of us will need it - but be aware that there is a hierarchy of help if you experience any trouble (or witness any) voting on Tuesday.
Obviously, every state, district and local polling place is going to have different procedures and options available on Tuesday - it’s important that you educate yourself, not only about the people on the ballot - but the ballot itself.
To check the election rules, state by state, visit the United State Election Assistance Commission. There you will find the “basics” regarding your state’s voting rules and external links to your state’s Voter’s Guide(s).
For example, I live in Pennsylvania - and on the PA voter site (www.votespa.com) I can check out what voting system my district employs, my polling place and voter alerts.
A few quick tips:
1. Double check your voting location and the opening and closing times.
2. Take the time to jot down (or program in) a few numbers to have on hand if you feel that your voting rights are being compromised.
3. Bring your photo I.D. (just in case).
A “provisional ballot” is really your last resort - Generally, provisional ballots are completed when a voter can not produce the required identification (if ID is required in your state), is not on the rolls, or there is some other procedural problem. Provisional ballots, again, generally, are only counted if registration can be verified.
So, if you run into problems, ask the polling people for assistance - call a local or state assistance hotline - run home and get your ID - make sure that you’re at the right polling place - but do what you can to vote!
Cnn.com has a great map showing some early voting data — unfortunately, it’s flash only, so I can only link to it: it’s here. Before you go rushing off, however, I’ve got a few things to say about early voting.
You can vote early in 31 states, and it looks like plenty of people are taking advantage of that fact. Of those 31, only 22 actually make any sort of early voting data available. I’m making all my judgments on early voting on data from less than half the states in the U.S. — so no promises on whether what I believe is happening is actually going on. So far, California is reporting that almost 2.2 million ballots have already been cast, through both mail-in and in-person voting. That’s over 12 percent of the state’s population.
I think there’s no question that there will be record turnout in every state. But I think that a higher percentage of voters are also taking advantage of early voting: while I expect higher than normal numbers at the polls, I don’t think they’ll be quite as high as most people are predicting. Colorado’s numbers really drive that fact home. Over 800,000 voters have already handed in their ballots in Colorado. That’s over 30 percent of registered voters in the state.
In 2004, only 64 percent of Americans eligible to vote did so. It’s a stretch but it’s possible that 64 percent of Americans could cast their votes before Election Day this year.
And, yes, in most states you still get the ‘I Voted’ sticker even if you vote early.
It is one week until the American voters choose their next President.
This election season seems to have gone on for much longer than past contests. So much has happened over the course of the campaign - in the race and in the world.
This is a historical election - and not only for the obvious reasons - This is the first election in which two sitting US Senators are running and this will be the first time, since 1960 that a sitting Senator will be elected (that is, selected by the electoral college) President.
Also, this is the first time that neither of the nominees was born in the Continental US. Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, and John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone.
John McCain, if elected, will be the oldest first term president.
In an October 31, 2007 Quinnipac University National Poll: Former Governor, Rudy Giuliani, and the then “Republican front-runner” held a very slim 45 - 43 “lead” over Senator Hillary Clinton (despite the perception that she is “unstoppable”).
Interestingly, Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain were tied 43 - 43.
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