I voted today!

[Akumulator]

I originally intended on voting on Nov. 4, like most other people, thinking that it would add to the excitement of the day. But a co-worker of mine brought up a good point. He said he voted early because he's one less person in line and he didn't want to discourage a possible voter from not voting due to long lines.

So my wife and I today went down to the South Fulton County building (which is out in the middle of nowhere) to vote expecting that we'd be in and out. This is the same building that houses the license tag renewal and always has long lines for that. Anyway, we get there around 2pm and see a long line outside the building and assume it was for the tags. Nope. There were approx. 50 lined up to the doors waiting to vote early. I also roughly figured there were another 50-100 people inside the building either waiting to vote or voting. And we asked the woman in charge if there was a better time to come and vote. She said that this was actually the shortest it had been all day and that the line's been long since early voting began 4 or 5 days ago. While waiting in line, several people came in to get voter registration forms. All in all, it took us about an hour.

I can't tell you how happy this makes me. To see that many people getting excited and going out early to vote. If lines are this long now, a month before the election, I can only imagine what it'll be like on Nov. 4th. So if you have an opportunity to vote now, I'd highly recommend it. :)

And on a side note, other than myself and my wife... I only saw two other white people there to vote. I'd say things are shaping up for Obama, even if this state's still leaning for McCain. One can only hope. :)


And I got my sticker.
http://prudenceponder.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/ga-voter-sticker.gif

[Akumulator]

I'm also optimistic from looking at the electoral map. 4 days ago, Georgia turned from red to pink.

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/680/mapjj2.png

[jamac]

i originally intended on voting on nov. 4, like most other people, thinking that it would add to the excitement of the day. But a co-worker of mine brought up a good point. He said he voted early because he's one less person in line and he didn't want to discourage a possible voter from not voting due to long lines.

So my wife and i today went down to the south fulton county building (which is out in the middle of nowhere) to vote expecting that we'd be in and out. This is the same building that houses the license tag renewal and always has long lines for that. Anyway, we get there around 2pm and see a long line outside the building and assume it was for the tags. Nope. There were approx. 50 lined up to the doors waiting to vote early. I also roughly figured there were another 50-100 people inside the building either waiting to vote or voting. And we asked the woman in charge if there was a better time to come and vote. She said that this was actually the shortest it had been all day and that the line's been long since early voting began 4 or 5 days ago. While waiting in line, several people came in to get voter registration forms. All in all, it took us about an hour.

I can't tell you how happy this makes me. To see that many people getting excited and going out early to vote. If lines are this long now, a month before the election, i can only imagine what it'll be like on nov. 4th. So if you have an opportunity to vote now, i'd highly recommend it. :)

and on a side note, other than myself and my wife... I only saw two other white people there to vote. I'd say things are shaping up for obama, even if this state's still leaning for mccain. One can only hope. :)


and i got my sticker.
http://prudenceponder.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/ga-voter-sticker.gif

thank you!

[e1618978]

Right now the electoral college projections are 353-185 in favor of Obama, the highest it has been in the race so far.

[Akumulator]

It's exciting.

The local news says there are hour long lines throughout the state of Georgia.

Here's a list of early voting states and dates: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/22/0211/51026

[icfireball]

Although I'm excited that we're seeing historic voting trends, I fear that early voting may make it harder to detect election fraud, if that becomes an issue... that exit polls won't accurately represent early voting, or that it gives more time for people to screw around with ballots and whatnot.

[Akumulator]

Well... that is a good point. It's already a little unnerving casting your vote on the touchscreen and then that's it. No paper print out or anything.

Here's a post from Kos today on Georgia early voting and also the (now) close race for governor: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/6/1152/98507/228/618110

[BRussell]

I could early vote, but I like to vote in the voting booth on election day. It somehow makes me feel like I'm really taking part in the election. I also get off work on election days, so I have nothing better to do.

[Akumulator]

So now McCain supporters are targeting early voters. They're protesting across the street from one place in North Carolina.

As you can see from these videos, no one held anything back. People were shouting about Obama's acknowledged cocaine use as a young man, abortion and one man used the word "terrorist." They also were complaining that Sundays are for church, not voting.

McCain Supporters Heckle Early Voters, Call Them 'Cheaters' (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christina-bellantoni/mccain-supporters-heckle_b_136099.html)


The plunger makes for the perfect symbol of the McCain campaign. :lol:

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4920/plungerdt1.png

[addabox]

I think that, once the American people realize that Obama has received money from millions of Americans, used that money to organize politically in every state in the Union, and then use that organization to get people to vote for him, there will be a vast outpouring of rage against his thuggish street tactics.

[SpamSandwich]

I'm also optimistic from looking at the electoral map. 4 days ago, Georgia turned from red to pink.

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/680/mapjj2.png

If it's changing from red to blue, shouldn't it be indicated by purple? :p

[Hassan i Sabbah]

4 days ago, Georgia turned from red to pink.


Fags.

[SpamSandwich]

Right now the electoral college projections are 353-185 in favor of Obama, the highest it has been in the race so far.

Let's face it, it's going to be an anti-Bush steamroller. I agree the electoral votes are going to be spectacularly high for Obama.

[screener]

Let's face it, it's going to be an anti-Bush steamroller. I agree the electoral votes are going to be spectacularly high for Obama.
The Bush legacy is in the shitter.

[Akumulator]

This article has me gleefully excited. http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/11/on-road-atlanta-georgia.html

If there is one shocker on election night in the presidential race, cast your eyes to Georgia. 1,994,990 people voted early in Georgia. 3,301,875 total voted in Georgia's presidential race in 2004.

Let that sink in.

I don't know if it's likely, because so far it hasn't been expected, but if GA goes for Obama tomorrow... I'll be running naked and shitting in the streets.

[Flounder]

Just got back from the polling place a few minutes ago. It opened at 7 AM and I arrived at about 6:40 and was the 14th person in line. There were probably around 40 people in line by 7.

[hardeeharhar]

I voted. There was a small but fast moving line for my division -- the other division had about 40 people... I suspect that the dems in power kept the ballot uncluttered to drive the turnout. There were eight races total and four ballot measures.

It took me less than 30 s total. Hopefully the lines will be short. It isn't cold here in Philly, and people even at this early hour were smiling... One other note, I just looked up the stats, each division in Pennsylvania is supposed to support 1200 people. There are some overcrowded divisions in Philly (Chinatown, don't laugh) -- but it looks like turnout in my division has been in the low 200s -- so either people don't vote historically around me (think two city blocks), or the division serves a small fraction of what it should. I suspect, however, that turnout will be higher -- while I was at the polling place, ten people voted, a lot of them young. It is highly unlikely that in my five minute sample window I saw five percent of all voters in my division, but who knows... I will look at the stats when the election is over/compiled...

[Outsider]

I voted at a church and everything was well organized. I got there at 7:50 and there was only 3 people ahead of me. Filled out my paper ballot, put it in the machine and was out of there by 8. Very smooth and a good experience.

[hmurchison]

I voted today.

Thank God. I'm tired of the campaign adds and the moronic stuff I've seen from
both sides.

May the best candidate win (following the rules of course)

[Outsider]

I voted today.

Thank God. I'm tired of the campaign adds and the moronic stuff I've seen from
both sides.

May the best candidate win (following the rules of course)

I don't mind the ads. What i do mind are the incessant calls in the evening.

[FloorJack]

My mom is getting bombed with calls. She's in Virgina. Maybe because my state is soild Obama or I'm cell phone only I get none.

[@_@ Artman]

Voted this morning. All went smoothly.

One thing I noted, in 2004 there wasn't a line going around the block (eventually, they split the line into four per district # and it moved a lot faster). I went by three other polling places on my way to work and the same thing, and a large percentage were young people, a lot of young people.

I think by 8:00 PM tonight we'll know who the next president of the U.S. will be.

Of course I could be wrong...

I still remember where I was and what I realized in the 2000 election (SCAM), so I shouldn't be surprised if this time, McCain and his lawyers will whine and stomp their collective feet for a change.

Though it will be for naught. This is a done deal for Obama IMO. :smokey:

[franksargent]

It took me a while, driving around town that is, and voting a few dozen times under ACORN names I made up a few month's ago. :no:

Piece of cake. :D

[Bergermeister]

About voting... a question from one of my students.

The US is considered / considers itself the leader of the free world, the pinnacle of democracy.

But voters have to register in order to vote. Why is this?

Here in Japan, every adult automatically receives a card in the mail that says where to go, just like all other adults of voting age; they go, hand over the card, show photo ID and vote. EVen when crowded, they usually never have to wait more than 15 minutes to vote. Very little effort on the voter's part, and thus his/her motivation to vote is high.

Why does the US have a double-the-effort effort system?

Voter turnout in the US tends to be lower than in many other counties. Is this a result of the double trouble system?

[franksargent]

About voting... a question from one of my students.

The US is considered / considers itself the leader of the free world, the pinnacle of democracy.

But voters have to register in order to vote. Why is this?

Here in Japan, every adult automatically receives a card in the mail that says where to go, just like all other adults of voting age; they go, hand over the card, show photo ID and vote. EVen when crowded, they usually never have to wait more than 15 minutes to vote. Very little effort on the voter's part, and thus his/her motivation to vote is high.

Why does the US have a double-the-effort effort system?

Voter turnout in the US tends to be lower than in many other counties. Is this a result of the double trouble system?

Our voting system is completely hosed just like our education system.

No two school boards behave in the exact same manner, so why should our voting system be any different? :rolleyes:

States right's and what all, then each municipality goes it's own way, thus, therefore, because, that is the way it is, old farts run the show, the Electoral College to give rural areas more pull, etceteras, ad infinitum, ad nauseam.

FIX IT!

Channaling SNL's Weekend Update, I said ...
FIX IT!

[@_@ Artman]

Almost 1000 students vote at 7am at Penn State University

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whc4OmprF2s

[SpamSandwich]

Right now the electoral college projections are 353-185 in favor of Obama, the highest it has been in the race so far.

It's not really a surprise. Bush has poisoned the well for conservatives for years to come.

[SpamSandwich]

Voted a couple of weeks ago. Absentee ballot rocks. Why anyone would bother waiting until the last second is beyond me.

[@_@ Artman]

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/POLITICS/11/04/election.president/t1land.voting.tues.46.ap.jpg

Did McCain vote for Obama?

I guess though that if he voted for himself the freepers would be bashing him for not being a good sport and voting for Obama...:err:...did that come out right?

[FloorJack]

I was disenfranchised today. The lines were too long and I couldn't wait because i had to get the kids home. I missed out on my free ice cream at ben and jerry's today.


Voting was fine though. There was no line at all at 5pm. I guess those voter suppression efforts paid off. I even voted for some democrats. Dog catcher, pipes and sewers comm' oh and even sherif.:p