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Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008: Voting Experience Thread

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I was the 8th in line.

About 200 people were behind me when the polls opened at 6am.

I voted for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

For Mark Warner.

For Glenn Nye.

I voted for Change.

Lurkers, Find Your Polling Location Here – The Editors

I had to walk to the polling station this morning. Luckily the Church where I cast my vote is only a couple miles away. I left the house at about 4:45 and, much to my dismay, discovered that it was raining. C’est la vie. By the time I got to the Church is was about quarter after 5 and there were already 7 ladies queued up under the small overhang in front of the door…they were kind enough to let a wet (umbrellaless) Kysen tuck under with them. One wound up sharing coffee from her thermos with me (I drank from the lid, she from the container). It was amazing to see how quickly the lot filled, how many umbrellas appeared as the line roped around the church. By the time the doors opened cars were circling due to lack of parking.

Was first in line in the row for my last name. Got my card, slipped it into the slot…and got ‘Invalid Card’. Woot! Was quickly remedied and provided the first lesson of the day for the volunteers (who were, to a one, spectacularly kind). Newly ‘programmed’ card in hand I gave it a second try and successfully voted in the 2008 Election.

I got my sticker and headed out the door…not looking forward to the wet walk home. I so did not relish walking in the rain that I decided to throw up my thumb to see what would happen. The second car that passed pulled over and was kind enough to bring me home (we live on a Neck, only one road in/out so anyone headed in is likely to be a neighbor).

So, here I sit…wet…but happy.

Perhaps this should serve as a thread about everyone’s voting experiences today (and for stories from those who voted early as well).

Gonna be a long day.

Hopefully, a day we will all remember fondly for the rest of our lives.

GOTV

Update: For those of you near a Krispy Kreme or a Starbucks (or both): keep your ‘I Voted’ Stickers and swing by. Krispy Kreme is giving a Free Donut with sticker and Starbucks is giving a Free Tall Coffee with sticker. Woot! (as if any more incentive were needed to vote!?!)


Categories: Uncategorized.

/ 59 Comments

59 comments

  1. Peter Jukes

    Two acts of samaritan like kindness towards you Kysen on a day like this – a good omen.

    And why don’t you edit the title and make it a voting experience thread?

  2. sricki

    Yeah, and I need to get up and go shortly — polls open in 50 minutes, should have already headed out, but it’s a little cold so I am procrastinating a bit (as usual).

  4. rfahey22

    R. Fa(b)ey has cast his vote (the Election Board screwed up my last name).  This is the first time I’ve voted in New York – that’s quite a contraption they have there, with all of the levers and shit.

  5. NavyBlueWife

    Drank too much last night, walked to the polls before the crack of dawn, in the rain, uphill both ways, encountered the kindness of strangers, voted for change in a big way in a big win state, and hopefully is passed out sleeping now!

    I’m a little misty-eyed…

  6. proudmama

    This morning I was number 43 in line. I waited happily in line with my youngest son (6 weeks old) strapped to my chest. My other two boys started to complain that the line was long – I simply reminded them that we were very fortunate that our line was short and to be happy that we were able to vote. Their moods perked up when they saw a bowl full of candy waiting at the end of the table 🙂

    It was a great feeling to walk out  with my boyfriend and my children – the entire family voting for change and for hope.  

  7. alyssa chaos

    this is my first presidential election vote and it was so anti-climactic. I went on a tuesday mid-day when no one was at the polls. I was in and out in like 3 minutes. Straight Dem all the way! maybe I should have soaked it in more, but I just remember freaking out about not canceling out my vote…

    In other news, [what am I doing on the internet??]

    fuck times a million.

    our system crashed. Im a poll checker meaning I get the raw totals from the watchers inside the polls and then I text them in to the Obama main system and it updates our system [technology is badass, supposedly this is the first time we use this] but the entire system crashed, now we have to drive the results back to the Head Quarters where someone manually enters them in to the system.

    Im in the office now. earlier this morning I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown, everyone in the office was  shitting bricks and bugging out and it rubbed off on me. I’ve only slept 3 hrs, I stayed up all night cutting spanish push cards [my only complaint with the Obama campaign is that they NEVER print anything in spanish. shit I know they can afford it.]

  8. Chris Blask

    Helped a few people, that feels good.  Only one angry (angry, scary) man, only one problem a the polls (a woman who did not show up in the rolls, a lawyer at the polls advised her and her vote will count).

    Couple quick pics…

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    Canvassing Goodie Bags

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    Signs of Change…

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    A view from Sarasota HQ

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    Hanging with the Big Guy…

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  9. trustno1

    Husband had to wait 10 minutes at ten o’clock…our (almost) 4 year old pressed his “Confirm” button.  At 1 o’clock, I literally walked in and out of the polls.  

    Lines were long this morning before work, and I bet they’ll be extremely heavy this evening.  I bet results don’t come in until 10 or later.  

    Eat n Park is giving away coffee…  🙂

  10. Chris Blask

    Randy Pullen, Chair of the Arizona Republican Party, sent out an email late Monday night bragging that their party had made 20,000 calls over the course of the last week. An email sent to the Obama Arizona Call Team sent out an email touting 450,000 phone calls made by its volunteers.

  11. Hollede

    I voted at 3:30 pm today. I was the only one there (doesn’t mean anything, I live in a very rural area). I talked to the very nice women at the table and they reported extremely heavy voting already.

    My actual voting only took moments, but I wanted to make a copy of the ballot so that I could look at it for years to come.

    Ani will be home shortly and I will go with her to the township and then return home and watch it all.

    • Kysen

      the talking heads would be watching Virginia and Indiana especially closely this evening. They both close ‘early’…and if Obama wins both, it pretty much means the election could be called early (near impossible for McCain to win). If Obama wins one or the other it becomes very very difficult for McCain to pull it out (but still possible).

      Obama winning Virginia will be HUGE.

      I can’t wait.

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